Homemade Oreo's

ccasionally my husband and I both really crave Oreo's. We both want something a little sweet with our lunches so 2 Oreo's will usually suffice. I've had this recipe in my folder to try for a long time now but when I've been craving Oreo's I usually don't have the time to bake anything. Overall I really liked this recipe and they were really easy to make however if I make them again I may modify some. First of all - next time I may try vanilla beans rather than vanilla extract. Though I LOVE vanilla I thought the vanilla would be too overpowering for most people. Secondly, I don't think I baked long enough for the size cookies I made. They were bigger than I anticipated and pretty chewy. Next time I'll make sure to keep them a little smaller and double-check the cooking time. Third, and I'm not really sure about this one, but I couldn't find Dutch Process Cocoa in my grocery store so I used the Hershey's Special Dark, which contains Dutch Process Cocoa, as someone on a the Nest cooking board recommended, but it seemed too dark. I've never used real Dutch Process Cocoa so maybe it would be better.

Anywho - as I said... overall these were still really good but the modifications I'll make next time will more be for myself and my husband, to incorporate our tastes!

Homemade Oreos

Source: Smitten Kitchen , as 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

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (for more traditional Oreo use around 1 cup - if baking for just the wafer you may want to go closer to 1 1/2 cups!)

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

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

- Set two racks in the middle of the oven.

- Preheat to 375°F.
- 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.
- 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.

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.

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.