If you like Little Debbie Fudge Rounds, like Kevin does, you’ll be happy to have this recipe for a copycat version of them. I made a batch of them for Kevin for Valentine’s Day. I just have the hardest time buying manufactured cookies (or anything else). As a “tradition”, Kevin usually gets beef jerky and Little Debbie Fudge Rounds for all holidays. He expects them. It has become sort of a joke now that those are all he gets for the holidays. He does like the Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies (I’ll have to try to make those next), too, but the Fudge Rounds are his favorite and he prefers them either chilled or even frozen.
I don’t eat them and am not sure when the last time I even tasted one was, but did a little looking to see if I could find a recipe and sure enough, I did. Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen had just what I was looking for. I did adjust the recipe a bit and I only made half of it as well. The half recipe made ten Fudge Rounds. The boys always like when Kevin gets a box of them as well and he usually shares with them. He shared the homemade ones last night. They all liked them and I liked that they weren’t processed food. Kevin said they are very similar, not quite exactly the same (is anything?) and I’m sure they’ll be gone soon!
Homemade Fudge Rounds, adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys!
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (150 grams)
6 tablespoons cocoa powder (30 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Once it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes), add the egg and vanilla and mix well until creamy. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk together. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat just until combined.
Scoop rounded ball of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for a couple minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. (Makes 20 cookies/10 sandwich cookies.)
Make the filling:
1/4 cup trans-fat free shortening (48 grams)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 pinches of salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (165 grams)
2 tablespoons warm water
Beat together the shortening and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and beat just until combined. Add water and beat on medium high for at least 2 minutes until light and fluffy. When cookies are cooled, put the filling in a piping bag (or plastic zip top bag with the corner snipped off) and top half the cookies with a dollop of filling. Press cookies on top of each to make sandwich cookies.
For the chocolate stripes on top of each sandwich cookie:
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
Melt together in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals until smooth.
Put the melted chocolate in a plastic zip top bag and snip a little corner off and drizzle on top of each sandwich cookie. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store cookies in an airtight container.
By the way, I love the filling recipe. I could almost just pipe that right into my mouth. I didn’t! It would be a great cupcake frosting.
Only thing I might do different next time is use a dark cocoa in the cookie dough. I know I’ll be making these again here! Sandwich cookies always seem so daunting, but these really weren’t hard at all. Give them a try if you love Little Debbie Fudge Rounds or if you’re just looking for a nice fudgy sandwich cookie. I think they’d also be fun to make smaller, ooh, with a peanut butter filling! Yum!
