The Making of Oreo Cookies

The Oreo cookie, introduced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, has become a beloved treat for nearly a century. With its iconic design and delicious taste, it’s no wonder that Oreos are a favorite among many. But have you ever wondered how these cookies are made? In this summary, we’ll take you behind the scenes to uncover the secrets of the world’s most popular cookie.

History and Design

Oreos have a rich history, with endless flavor variations and an original design featuring a wreath of flowers around the edge. The cookie’s iconic design and delicious taste have made it a staple in many households. Interestingly, the original design has undergone many changes over the years, but the classic Oreo taste has remained the same.

Ingredients and Preparation

The ingredients used to make Oreos are carefully selected and prepared with precision. The flour is sourced from local US wheat farms and sifted to remove lumps. The mixture is then combined with sugar, cocoa powder, and other ingredients to create the perfect dough. High-protein flour and large sugar crystals are avoided to maintain the Oreo’s signature soft bite and smooth surface. The cocoa powder used is made from carefully selected cacao beans and is alkalized to neutralize natural acidity, giving the cookies a deep, dark color and a mellow flavor.

The Oreo Making Process

The Oreo making process begins with mixing massive amounts of sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and other ingredients into giant mixers to create the cookie dough. The mix is then blended together, water is added, and dry ice is used to control the temperature and cool the dough. Cooling the dough is crucial as it makes it easier to handle and less likely to crack when rolled out, resulting in perfectly baked cookies. The following steps are involved in the Oreo making process:

Mixing the ingredients to create the cookie dough
Blending the mix and adding water and dry ice
Shaping and stamping the dough into iconic Oreo cookies
Baking the cookies in industrial ovens
Cooling the cookies with industrial fans
Inspecting the cookies for imperfections

Assembling the Cookies

The creamy vanilla filling is made with precision and quality control, using key ingredients like powdered sugar, vegetable fat, and vanilla flavoring. The filling is then piped onto one half of the cookie, and the other half is pressed on top. The assembly line produces 3,000 finished Oreos per minute, which then pass through a rapid cooling tunnel to firm up the cream. Strict quality control checks are in place to ensure only high-standard Oreos are packaged by automated robots.

Packaging and Distribution

Once the Oreos are assembled, they are grouped into sets of 11 by robotic fingers and placed into plastic trays. The trays are then sent to a packing station where they are sealed and packed into boxes for shipping to distributors and stores. With a production rate of 3,000 cookies per minute, it’s no wonder that Oreos are widely available in stores and online.

Key Vocabulary

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Alkalized Cocoa Powder	Cocoa powder that has been treated to neutralize its natural acidity, resulting in a milder flavor and deeper color.	The Oreo recipe uses alkalized cocoa powder to give the cookies a distinct taste and appearance.
Cacao Beans	The main ingredient in chocolate production, cacao beans are the seeds of the cacao tree.	High-quality cacao beans are carefully selected to produce the cocoa powder used in Oreo cookies.
Dry Ice	The solid form of carbon dioxide, used for cooling and temperature control.	Dry ice is used in the Oreo making process to cool the dough and make it easier to handle.
High-Protein Flour	A type of flour with high protein content, often used in bread and other baked goods.	Oreo cookies avoid using high-protein flour to maintain their signature soft bite and smooth surface.
Industrial Ovens	Large-scale ovens used for mass production of baked goods.	Oreo cookies are baked in industrial ovens to achieve consistent quality and texture.
Quality Control	The process of ensuring that products meet certain standards of quality and consistency.	Strict quality control checks are in place throughout the Oreo making process to ensure only high-standard cookies are packaged.
Rapid Cooling Tunnel	A device used to quickly cool products, often used in food production.	The assembled Oreo cookies pass through a rapid cooling tunnel to firm up the cream filling.
Sifting	The process of passing a powder or granular material through a sieve to remove lumps or large particles.	The flour used in Oreo cookies is sifted to remove lumps and ensure a smooth texture.
Vanilla Flavoring	A flavoring used to give products a vanilla taste and aroma.	The creamy vanilla filling in Oreo cookies is made with high-quality vanilla flavoring.
Vegetable Fat	A type of fat derived from plant sources, often used in food production.	The creamy filling in Oreo cookies is made with vegetable fat to give it a smooth and creamy texture.

Watch The Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLlB5FxvOJU

How Oreo Cookies Are Made 🍪 | How They Make Millions Every Single Day!

Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word means ‘a long period of time’ in the context of the Oreo cookie’s existence?

A) Century
B) Decade
C) Staple
D) Iconic

2. What is the purpose of using dry ice in the Oreo making process?

A) To add flavor to the cookies
B) To control the temperature and cool the dough
C) To mix the ingredients together
D) To inspect the cookies for imperfections

3. Which ingredient is avoided to maintain the Oreo’s signature soft bite and smooth surface?

A) High-protein flour and large sugar crystals
B) Cocoa powder and vanilla flavoring
C) Powdered sugar and vegetable fat
D) Salt and water

4. What is the role of robotic fingers in the packaging process of Oreos?

A) To assemble the cookies
B) To bake the cookies
C) To group the Oreos into sets of 11 and place them into plastic trays
D) To mix the ingredients together

5. What is the result of alkalizing the cocoa powder used in making Oreos?

A) A lighter color and a sweeter flavor
B) A deeper, darker color and a mellow flavor
C) A softer bite and a smoother surface
D) A crunchier texture and a stronger flavor

Answer Key:

1. A
2. B
3. A
4. C
5. B

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of Passive Voice

The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of a sentence receives the action described by the verb. In the context of the Oreo cookie making process, the passive voice is used to describe the steps involved in manufacturing, such as “the flour is sourced,” “the mixture is combined,” and “the cookies are baked.” This grammatical structure is useful for focusing on the action rather than the doer of the action, which is often the case in technical or procedural descriptions. For example, “The Oreo making process begins with mixing massive amounts of sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and other ingredients into giant mixers to create the cookie dough” can be rephrased in the passive voice as “Massive amounts of sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and other ingredients are mixed into giant mixers to create the cookie dough.” The passive voice is commonly used in formal and technical writing to convey a sense of objectivity and to emphasize the process over the person performing the action.

Grammar Quiz:

Choose the correct form of the sentence in the passive voice:

1. The cookies ______ by industrial ovens.

are bake
bake
are baked
baked

2. The creamy vanilla filling ______ with precision and quality control.

make
is made
are making
made

3. The Oreo making process ______ with mixing massive amounts of sugar and other ingredients.

begins
is beginning
begin
is begun

4. The cookies ______ for imperfections before packaging.

inspect
are inspecting
are inspected
inspect

5. The flour ______ from local US wheat farms.

source
is sourcing
are sourced
is sourced

Answer Key:

1. are baked

2. is made

3. begins

4. are inspected

5. is sourced