Vegan "Hershey's Cookies N' Cream" Bar

I've always loved white chocolate. I remember going to Trader Joe's as a kid and picking out these hunks of white chocolate amongst milk and dark. My favorite candy bar was the Hershey's Cookies N' Cream. It's white. It's creamy. It's oh-so-delicious. When I became lactose intolerant at 15, I could no longer have my precious ivory delight...until now! I came across this recipe on Pinterest and immediately ordered all the ingredients from amazon. After I made my first bar seen below, I knew I had to add oreos to make my childhood delight. The very next day I got a pack of Trader Joe O's and made this wonderful bar! And now I must restrain myself from making this all the time.  

This is the magic ingredient that makes this bar possible:

Cocoa Butter. 

Some use it as a moisturizer but it's the main ingredient in this candy! Of course this brand is certified food grade. Once you open the jar, you smell the sweet memorable smell of chocolate. 

I was surprised at how easy it was to make this! After gathering all the ingredients from Amazon and Mother's Market (the soy milk powder), I got to working. 

Here are the simple steps: 

(!Read all the way through before attempting!)

1. Use a fork or knife to break out 1/4 cup of cocoa butter. 
2. Microwave it in 45 second intervals until fully melted. Use a fork to stir it when you stop at each interval. It will take about 2-3 minutes to completely melt into a yellow oil. 
3. In the mean time, measure out all the ingredients like the picture you see above. (The vanilla bean paste, the milk powder, and the powdered sugar are all measured out.)
4. Once the oil is melted, use a sifter to quickly incorporate the powdered sugar into the oil, stirring the whole time and scraping down the sides. 
5. Add in the milk powder. 
6. The vanilla bean paste is cold so it will make the oil clump up. So make sure you VERY quickly stir it in LAST and then scrape the smooth mixture into the molds. The recipe only makes one bar, so double it if you want to fill your whole double-bar mold. 
7. For the Cookies N' Cream Version: Scrape the cream out of the middle of 2 oreo style cookies and place the sides in a ziploc bag. Crush the cookies into crumbs. Sprinkle some into the mold, place some of the white chocolate down, and then sprinkle some more. Don't stir it in because it will turn the bar brown. Use a butter knife or your finger to smooth the bottom of the bar.
8. Cover with parchment and foil and let sit in the fridge for two hours to firm up. 
9. Enjoy alone to get the best of the flavors, or use like you would any other white chocolate or candy bar!