Crispy chocolate wafer cookies with cream filling – otherwise known as DIY Oreos. I don’t know about you, but Oreos hold a special place in my heart. With all the baking as I do, store bought cookies are simply not something we ever purchase. Except, of course, for Oreos. There is just something about the classic sandwich cookie that I can’t resist. Though I generally buy them for the purpose of mixing into some awesome baked good or ice cream, I always end up popping one or two into my mouth while I’m working. And on the very rare occasions when I can’t find any other treats around our kitchen, the Oreo shelf in the pantry is the first place I look when a craving hits.
I first tried a version of homemade Oreos about a year ago and while they were good, they weren’t great, not to mention it was a fairly high maintenance recipe with lots of steps, chilling, etc. This recipe was right on the money. It tastes a whole lot like an Oreo, except better because it’s homemade. The dough mixes up quickly, is scooped out onto the cookie sheet, slightly flattened and baked. The cookies spread out into thin chocolate wafers with a slightly crumbly texture. The filling is really just a basic vanilla frosting recipe using part butter and part shortening. I almost never bake with shortening but this is one of the times I make the exception, because I think the shortening gets the filling closer to the store bought Oreo filling. If you don’t want to use shortening just substitute an equal amount of butter. The size cookies I made are a bit larger than regular Oreos so you may choose to make smaller cookies.
This giveaway really has nothing to do with the Oreos but I’m been so excited to share it with you. I have a major thing for cute aprons. I already have several and I have my eye on a whole lot more. A rep from Jessie Steele contacted me to see if I would be interested in an apron for myself as well as one to give away to a reader. Absolutely! There are so many fun and gorgeous aprons on this site. I agonized over which apron to choose – you would have thought I was making a life or death decision. I finally settled on this cherry print, but I love so many more. I can already guarantee that another will be on my Christmas list this year :)
Would you like to win an apron from Jessie Steele? Well, here is your chance! To enter the giveaway, please visit the Jessie Steele site and then leave a comment on this entry telling me which apron is your favorite. The winner will get the apron of their choice, so think it through and have fun deciding!
The Rules: One entry per person, U.S. residents only. Commenting will close on Wednesday, June 22 at 10:00 pm, EST. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will not be considered. One winner will be chosen at random and announced next week. Good luck!
DIY Oreos
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Yield: about 20-24 sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1-1½ cups sugar*
10 tbsp. (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
For the filling:
4 tbsp. (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
*The range of sugar called for here allows you to make these cookies as sweet as you like (or not). To make it closer to a store-bought Oreo, use 1 cup. For a sweeter cookie, use the full 1½ cups. I split the difference and used 1¼ cups.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
In a food processor or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix briefly to combine. Add the butter to the bowl and pulse or mix briefly to incorporate. Add in the egg and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
Scoop a scant tablespoon of batter onto the baking sheet. Continue scooping, spacing the dough balls a couple of inches apart. With moistened fingers, gently press down on the dough balls to flatten slightly. Bake for 9-11 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let cool completely until the cookies are firm and set. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before filling.
To make the filling, combine the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.
To assemble the cookies, pair them up by size. Use a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip to pipe a swirl of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair. Sandwich together with the remaining cookie and press down so that the filling reaches the edges.
Source: slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman
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