Homemade Pocky

I saw these on the New York Times cookie spread and knew I had to make them. I love pocky, and can never eat just a few. They’re crispy, chocolate, and are cookies, so there’s not much not to like.

The best part? These ones are easy. They don’t actually make good cookie tin cookies (they break kind of easily and therefore shouldn’t be packed with lots of other cookies, but I think they’d look great out on a platter for dessert at one of the eighteen holiday parties you’re probably going to this week.

In my cookie marathon weekend, I made the dough for these on Wednesday night and then didn’t bake them until Saturday. Chocolate didn’t come until Sunday. They still turned out awesome – so feel free to make this dough ahead of time if you don’t want to do everything at once.

Start by pulsing 1 1/4 cups flour, sugar baking powder and salt in a food processor to combine.

Add the butter and pulse until small crumbs form and the mixture is kind of sandy-like in texture.

Put the milk and vanilla into a measuring cup and pour slowly into the food processor while it’s running, continuing to run until the dough is smooth.

Scoop the dough onto a floured surface and roll until it’s about 1/4 inch thick, making it an even 5 1/2 by 8 inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to bake, take out half of the dough and keep the rest in the fridge. Slice strips from the short side about 1/4 inch thick, and roll each strip into a snake about 7 or 8 inches long. Think play dough.

Put on a baking sheet and freeze for about 10 minutes.

Bake at 350°F for 14 minutes, until starting to turn golden. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to chill completely.

Once tghey’re cool, you can make the dips. I did 1/3 white chocolate, 1/3 milk chocolate and 1/3 dark chocolate. For the white chocolate, I mixed in some crushed freeze-dried strawberries, too. All were decorated with sprinkles, of course.

Just spoon the chocolate over the cookie stick and lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sprinkles and allow to harden before transferring to an airtight container to store.

And that’s it! Homemade pocky. They may not have that processed-cookie taste you’re used to, but they do a pretty good imitation.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pocky

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, cold
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces white chocolate + 1 tablespoon shortening + 1 tablespoon crushed freeze-dried strawberries
• 3 ounces milk chocolate + 1 teaspoon shortening
• 3 ounces dark chocolate + 1 teaspoon shortening
• sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to mix.
2. Add butter and pulse until small crumbs form.
3. Combine milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Stream into the food processor while running and continue to run until dough is smooth.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/4-inch thick, 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches in side. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour but up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, cut into 1/4 inch strips starting on a short edge. Roll each strip into a snake about 7 to 8 inches long.
6. Place snakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 14 minutes, until golden.
7. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the strawberry dip, melt the white chocolate and shortening in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, then heat in 20 second increments, stirring each time, until smooth. Stir in the crushed strawberries.
9. To make the milk or dark chocolate, follow the same process with the chocolate and shortening in the microwave, stirring after each increment until smooth.
10. Spoon the chocolate over 1/2 of the pocky stick. lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sprinkles. Allow to harden.