Homemade Oreo Cookies!!!

Although I am a lover of all things sweet and chocolaty, there has always been a special place in my heart for the cream filled celestial cookies we call Oreos! Not only do I love the Original cookie (especially if it is double stuffed) but I've found that I quite enjoy homemade versions as well. Most commonly I've seen them made with a cake mix cookie recipe and cream cheese frosting, but the other day I discovered Deb's recipe on The Smitten Kitchen and it is by far the BEST Oreo recipe I have EVER tasted!!!

So naturally, I decided to share the recipe with YOU! However, I'm hoping that this will be one of the last calorie ridden posts I share (as I am now attempting to lose some of my well earned summer vacation fat rolls and need to STOP eating cookies by the tray!) Never-the-less, these were too good to pass by, so here you go:

Homemade Oreo Cookies: by Deb Perelman of The Smitten Kitchen

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies (24 if you accidentally eat some cookies before frosting them!)

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 [Less if you want it to be more like the original cookie, more if you like things sweet! We used 1 1/4 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

Instructions:

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.

Once you are finished assembling all of your cookies I HIGHLY recommend taking half of the Oreos over to a friends house because once you start eating them, you won't be able to stop! Also, a glass of milk for dunking finishes these off with perfection!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these as much as I did (but perhaps with a little more self control) Happy Baking!