Homemade Oreos

I'm obsessed with Oreos! When I was little I would get in trouble for eating a whole box in a sitting- my family still makes fun of me for it. Baking them homemade makes them even that that much better!

The texture of the filling of these is scary similar to the real deal- it is so vanillay, sweet, and thick. These cookies are slightly more chewy than Oreos which is actually a good thing. I think the key to the recipe is finding the right ratio between filling and cookie.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart Holiday Baking 2002, Special Issue Holiday 2002)

Yield-Makes about 30

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies

10 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature 

Vanilla Cream Filling (recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Into a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.

Roll out the dough until a 1/4-inch thick. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter and cut as many circles as possible. spread the circles at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. 

Transfer to oven, and bake until cookies are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely.

Place cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler(or use a plastic bag and cut small opening on the corner to squeeze out the icing), and pipe about 1 tablespoon filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top, and gently press on each to squeeze filling to edges. Filled cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Vanilla Cream Filling

Yield
-Makes about 1 cup

 Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon salt

Directions 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.