Homemade Oreo Cookies

Homemade Oreos from SmittenKitchen.com, Adapted from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa {i used Equal Exchange Organic Baking Coca}
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening {i used Spectrum Organic Veg. Shorting}
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

the batter was thick, drier than your usual cookie dough

with a scooper I was able to get even sizing

 

you'll then want to hand-roll each cookie, this will create a smoother edge. I tried just flattening the "scooped dough" and the edges broke. while it tasted the same, it didn't look like a true Oreo. Also, be sure to flatten them enough, they don't spread as much as you might think, my first batch resembled more of a Whoopie-pie than an Oreo.

In conclusion, lots of time & effort goes into these cookies. You have to really love Oreo cookies for this recipe. I personally don't like Oreo's {sorry} but my girls wanted to give it a try. They loved them, and the flavor was spot-on {without all of the junk that's in conventional oreos}. This is a fun novelty treat for someone special.