Oreo Cookies: Happy Birthday

The Oreo cookie will be celebrating it’s 99^th birthday in March. Think of it…people waking up in the middle of the night to get Oreo cookies for 99 years. Or taking them on a picnic with bananas and bologna sandwiches. Or eating them with milk because everyone knows that "Milk's Favorite Cookie" is an Oreo.

Over 20.5 million Oreos are eaten each day. That’s 625 million a month and 7.5 billion a year. In 2007 it was reported that at least 491 billion Oreos had been sold since Nabisco began making them in March 1912. They are one of the best selling and most popular cookies of the 20^th century.

The Oreo wasn’t always called an Oreo. It was first called the Oreo Biscuit and since then has been called the Oreo Sandwich (1921), the Oreo Crème Sandwich(1948) and the Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie (1974). It’s not certain how the cookie got the name Oreo and there are many theories but Oreo comes from the Greek root for appetizing and is found in the words orexin or orexigenic meaning appetite stimulating or anorexic which means loss of appetite.

The cookie was first made in a factory in New York City and was not always the Oreo we know today. At first it was mound shaped and had either a lemon meringue or creme filling. It is possible that it was targeted to the British market because Nabisco thought the English biscuit was too ordinary. This might explain why it was first called the Oreo Biscuit. The mound shaped cookie had a newer design in 1916 and in 1924 the lemon meringue creme was discontinued. In 1952 the Oreo cookie we know today has of a sweet, white filling known as 'cream' or 'creme' and is sandwiched between two circular chocolate or golden cookie pieces. The modern-day Oreo was developed in 1952 to includes the Nabisco logo..

Oreos are sold by the Nabisco Division of Kraft Foods. In America Oreos originally sold for 25 cents a pound and were in novelty cans with glass lids. Now a regular package might cost around $2.79 - $ 3.29 if on sale and normally is $3.99 - $4.29.

The Oreo cookie began selling in China in 1996. It became the best selling cookie in the Peoples Republic of China in 2006 after the sugar content was lowered in order to appeal to the Chinese appetite. A variation of the cookie consisting of a wafer of four layers with chocolate and vanilla crème and dipped in chocolate became quite popular. Between 2006 and 2007 the sale of this wafer doubled in China and China became the second largest marketer of the Oreo.

With Oreo’s success in China Nabisco hit the 1 billion mark in revenue for the first time in 2007. The wafer, called the Oreo Wafer Stick was so popular in China that Nabisco began selling them in other parts of Asia along with Australia and Canada. Hollow, tube-shaped wafers lined with crème, called Oreo Wafer Rolls, were sold in China. The hollow cookie could be used like a straw to drink milk.

Oreos have also been sold in Norway, Canada and the UK. Reportably, when Kraft took over in 2005 importation to Norway was stopped. Canada sells the cookie under the Christies brand and uses coconut oil. The UK uses whey milk.

For persons that want to make their own, recipes for the cookie can be found on the internet. They probably won’t taste exactly like an Oreo and the batch won’t be nearly as big. Nabisco uses 18 million pounds of cocoa and 47 million pounds of cream filling for one batch of cookies.

Filling

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies
Adapted from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman

If you want your cookie closer to the original, you can take out a full half-cup of the sugar. If you want to make the cookie by itself for ice cream sandwiches use the full amount.

Chocolate Wafers
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

• 4, To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy
• 5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

• 1.  Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
•  2.  In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
•  3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

Along with all the varieties and variations eating an Oreo seems to be as unique as the individual who eats it. Next time you eat your Oreo, whether you twist it apart, lick it, dunk it, gobble it or let it melt in your mouth don’t forget to wish Oreo a happy 99^th birthday.

From Nabisco World.com website, one of the recipes for the month

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 1 doz. or 12 servings, one tart each

Ingredients:

26 OREO Cookies, finely crushed 1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

1 qt. (4 cups) strawberries, divided 1/2 cup water, divided

1/3 cup sugar 4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Preparation:

MIX

crumbs and margarine until well blended; spoon about 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the crumb mixture into each of 12 greased or paper-lined medium muffin cups. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of each cup with back of spoon. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

RESERVE

12 of the smallest strawberries for garnish. Slice remaining strawberries. Combine1 cup of the strawberry slices and 1/4 cup of the water in small saucepan; bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 3 min., stirring occasionally. Combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in small bowl; stir in remaining 1/4 cup water. Add to strawberries in saucepan; mix well. Return to boil. Cook and stir 1 min. or until sauce is clear and thickened. Cool slightly.

MEANWHILE,

pat remaining strawberry slices dry. Spoon evenly into tart shells; top evenly with the strawberry glaze. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with the whipped cream and reserved whole strawberries just before serving. Store any leftover tarts in refrigerator.