Two letters. Infinite meaning. Koko turns the oldest shorthand for love into something you can actually taste.
XO first appeared in letters as a way to send hugs and kisses across distance — X for the kiss (traced from the medieval practice of signing documents with a cross and then kissing it), O for the embrace. By the twentieth century it had escaped the letter and colonised the world: greeting cards, text messages, storefronts.
Koko's XO Oreos were born out of Valentine's season but outlived it. The pink and white palette — candy-pink chocolate, pearl-white chocolate, red roses pressed into the surface — turned out to be exactly what people wanted for Mother's Day, for galentines, for any occasion where someone needed to know they were cherished.
'Desserts meant for celebration should sparkle.' — Koko.
The technique is more intricate than it looks. Each Oreo is dipped in the base colour, which must set completely before the drizzled stripes are applied. The tiny fondant roses are made the day before and set in silicone moulds overnight. The XO lettering requires a small piping tip and a steady hand — Koko does not rush this step.
The sprinkles go on last, while the chocolate is still slightly tacky. They have to catch the light — this is non-negotiable. Desserts meant for celebration should sparkle.
Someone once told Koko that her XO boxes were the nicest thing anyone had ever given them. She did not know what to say, so she just smiled. She thought about it for the rest of the day.