Homemade Oreo Cookies

This was a fun recipe and believe it or not, very easy to make. They really didn't take that long either to make, bake & put together and I even made a double recipe.  Most importantly, they are delicious.  I would definitely make these again.  I wouldn't say they taste like Oreos.  I mean, Oreos have a very special taste & texture that I don't think can be imitated. Yes, Oreos are a store bought cookie and often those cannot compare to homemade but they do have their place and I like store bought Oreos. These homemade ones have a more chewy cookie texture and softer cream filling and obviously MORE filling than the average Oreo - even the double suff.   I had to let the cookies sit for awhile after filling so the cream could crust a bit and set so they don't slide apart so easily.  I filled them so much that when you bite into one, the filling oozes out the side but I don't really have a problem with that! 

When I baked the cookies, it was kind of hard to tell when they were done. The recipe states 9 minutes and I think I waited till 10 or 11 minutes went by before removing them from the oven.  That turned out to be a perfect amount of time for my cookies.  I didn't roll the dough into balls, I just used a pretty small cookie scoop - that worked fine.  I used a clear vanilla extract in my filling so it would stay nice and white and I whipped it a long time to make it fluffy.   I used a piping bag with a plain round tip to pipe the filling onto the cookies but if you don't have a piping bag, you could easily use a butter knife to spread the filling.

Homemade Oreos

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Filling:1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (you could omit the shortening and use all butter, but the shortening helps the filling to set)
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
a tiny pinch of salt

Directions

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With a flat-bottomed glass, slightly flatten the dough by pressing down lightly. Bake for 9 minutes. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a round tip, pipe the 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.