Deep-Fried Oreos

First, place 12 Oreo cookies on a small plate and refrigerate them for 10 minutes while you prepare the batter; this prevents the cream filling from melting too quickly during frying. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup (120g) buttermilk pancake mix, ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, and 1 large egg until completely smooth, with no visible dry lumps. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes at room temperature to allow leavening to activate.

Pour 4 cups (960ml) of neutral canola oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot, ensuring the oil fills no more than ⅓ of the vessel to prevent hot oil boil-over. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a steady 375°F (190°C), measured with a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer; this takes approximately 8–10 minutes. Adjust stovetop heat as needed to hold this temperature through all frying batches.

Working one cookie at a time, drop a chilled Oreo into the rested pancake batter. Use a dinner fork to flip the cookie until it is fully coated on all sides with a ¼-inch thick layer of batter, holding the coated cookie above the bowl for 2 seconds to let excess batter drip off. Do not coat more than 2 Oreos at a time to prevent batter from getting soggy or dropping the oil temperature too quickly when frying.

Carefully lower 2–3 batter-coated Oreos into the hot oil, taking care not to splash hot oil. Fry for 90 seconds on the first side, then use a slotted spider strainer to flip each Oreo, and fry for an additional 60–90 seconds on the second side until the entire batter coating is deep golden brown and puffed. Never overcrowd the pot, as this drops oil temperature and leads to greasy, soggy results.

Once Oreos are evenly golden, use the spider strainer to lift them out of the oil, holding them above the pot for 3 seconds to let excess oil drip back into the vessel. Transfer the fried Oreos to a wire rack set over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain for 1 full minute; do not stack the hot Oreos, as trapped steam will make the crispy coating turn soft and soggy.

While the fried Oreos are still warm, place 2 tablespoons (15g) of powdered sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust an even, light layer over the top of all the cookies. Serve immediately, while the outer coating is crisp and the inner cookie and cream filling is soft, warm, and slightly melted.