Homemade Oreos

Why is it that no matter how stocked your pantry is, there always seems to be one ingredient missing from whatever recipe you want to try? I’ve got 8 pounds of chocolate chips, 5 different kinds of flour, and enough butter to make Paula Deen’s heart stop, but it seemed like every recipe I found today called for brown sugar—the one thing I’m completely out of at the moment. If it wasn’t brown sugar, it was espresso powder or heavy cream or pecans. It took me literally 4 cookbooks to find something I could make (that I actually wanted to make)! I’d almost given up! It’s a good thing I didn’t, because these Homemade Oreos wouldn’t exist.


I’ve been in a bit of a baking slump lately. For some unknown reason, I’ve been completely lacking in the motivation department. On days that I usually bake, I’ve just been sitting around the house doing literally nothing. But today I finally managed to talk myself into getting back into the kitchen. I figured I’d ease my way back into baking with some cookies, since they’re usually fairly straight forward and simple. These Oreos whipped up really easily, and other than the frosting being so thick it popped my piping bag and I had to just smear it on with a spatula instead, everything went fairly well. Hopefully that motivation will carry over into my next day off.

The cookies are firm and crunchy, just like an Oreo. Mine puffed up and cracked a bit on the tops, even though the picture with the recipe showed these perfectly flat, thin wafers, but they were still really good. And the filling inside is absolutely perfect. Fluffy, but not overly sweet or rich, with just the right amount of vanilla. Not exactly like Oreo filling, but it’s really good. I’m definitely going to be using that again for other things. One of the managers at work said he would totally sit in front of the TV eating a bowl of just the filling, adding that it would probably kill him, but at least he would die happy.

They’re not exact replicas of the original Oreo, but these cookies are pretty darn good anyway. I just wonder how well they hold up to dunking. I’ll have to bake myself another batch, sit down with my big glass of milk, and find out!

---

Homemade Oreos
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies
Makes 2 ½ dozen



Cookies:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar, plus more for rolling
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Filling:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, beating to combine. Reduce speed to low, gradually adding flour mixture until dough is well combined.
3. Place about a ½ cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a small (1 ¼ inch) cookie scoop, shape dough into a ball and roll it in sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. With the bottom of a glass, press dough flat to about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Bake until cookies are firm, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
5. While cookies are cooling, make filling: In the clean bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and shortening until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add confectioner’s sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
6. Place cream filling in a pastry bag and pipe (or spread with an offset spatula) about a tablespoon onto the flat side of half the cookies.* Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently together to squeeze filling to edges.**

*Note: I had a ton of filling left over, so go ahead pile it on. No need to be shy. Everyone loves Double Stuffs!
**I found the filling spread easier and more evenly if I pressed and twisted a bit on the top cookie. Kind of like how you twist the top of a regular Oreo, only pushing down instead of lifting up!