Homemade Oreo Cookies

The first game of the season was welcomed with Homemade Oreo Cookies, and they were delicious!! They were such a hit, I wasn't able to get a picture once they hit the tailgate. I guess that means they were good, right?!

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

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 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg
*[I used Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa. You can get it at HEB or super-sized at CostCo. Definitely use a Dutch process cocoa. It gives the wafers the deeper Oreo chocolate taste!] 

For the filling: 
1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  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.

2.  Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart.





[Use dough balls that are about 1/4 of a teaspoon if you want them to be Oreo Cookie size. Look at the pixs below!  I made the first batch 4 times too big! ] 

The first pan I made was rows of 3 x 4 and the
cookies were huge and spread together!  This is
the second batch and I had to make a few more big
ones to even use up the first batch of jumbo-oreos!

3.  With moistened hands or a glass that will leave a cute imprint, slightly flatten the dough.

These turned out perfect!  One my cookie  sheets
I was able to do rows of 4 x 5 and the cookies
didn't spread together.

[I used an old glass from my Grandma Lu that has a fun impression on the base.  Thank you, Grandma Lessmann!] 






4.  Bake for 10 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.  [I had better luck cooking mine for about 12 minutes. It's tricky to judge the time since you can't see if they are burning, but you want them to be crispy and and chewy...like an Oreo!] 

[I'm not a plan-aheader, but in retrospect, it would have been good for me to have made the wafers the night before and let them sit on the cooling racks overnight.  It would have given them a crunchier texture like an Oreo cookie. Live and learn!!]





5.  To make the filling, 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.

   

         Spread and....

...squish!! 

6.  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. [I just used a frosting spatula, spread and squished the top on!] Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

7.  Enjoy!!


Recipe originally found via Pinterest at: http://www.sweetpotatochronicles.com/wordpress/2011/03/guest-bloggers-emma-and-henry-make-homemade-oreos/