I found myself in a challenging situation the other day. I had a package of Oreos ready for devouring, but no milk to enjoy with it. And this made me think…what the hell do you dunk Oreos in, if not milk?
Yes, Oreos are “Milk’s favorite cookie” per its branding. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of a full milk jug to indulge in, and as great as Oreo cookies are, they are not always a stand-alone kind of cookie. Eventually all that chocolate and cream filling builds up, and you need something to wash it down.
Necessity being the mother of invention as they say, I’ve discovered a new delicious pairing for Oreos.
Dunk your Oreos in a fruit smoothie
You might be thinking, “well if you’re looking to wash down the cookie just drink some water.” But that is blasphemy I will not stand for. Oreos deserve more than water. They deserve a dunk tank that will elevate their flavor.
So hear me out: A strawberry, banana smoothie with a little peanut butter in it is the best alternative if you don’t have milk on hand. I can only compare it to eating chocolate-covered ice cream with a dip of whipped cream at the end. The fruitiness of the strawberry is a perfect counter to the richness of the chocolate in the Oreo and the banana and peanut butter give the smoothie a little more heft.
As I dunked my cookies into the mixture, I could see that the smoothie actually accomplished what milk would, but in a more controlled manner. You see, when you dunk an Oreo in a glass of milk you have to get the dunk timing just right. Too little, and the Oreo doesn’t soften enough to make the milk even worth using. Dunk for too long and you’ll lose half the cookie in the glass. The smoothie’s thickness softens the cookie more slowly without making it fall apart immediately.
While the strawberry and banana smoothie combo is my absolute favorite, this could be done with a variety of other fruits. As a rule of thumb, I’d go for any fruit you’d normally enjoy dipped in chocolate. It’s about time Oreo be released from its monogamous partnership with milk.