Homemade Oreo Cookies

It's been a while since I've baked. I guess in the summer you're outside more and feel less like slaving away in the kitchen, but now it's cooling down I feel like getting back into it. I had seen recipes floating around the internet for these, and was inspired to make them after I found my brother munching his way through some Oreos on Friday.

I have to say that they were delicious, and very Oreo-like. The only difference was that they were a little less crunchy, and maybe a bit sweeter. I could only find American recipes online (perhaps because Oreos are much rarer in England anyway) so I have adapted this recipe from cups - grams for people who, like me, cannot measure in cups! If you like, you can find the original recipe here.

Homemade Oreos

makes 25-30 sandwich cookies

Ingredients
For the chocolate wafers:

160g all-purpose flour
65g unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
200g caster sugar
250g room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:

65g room-temperature, unsalted butter
65g vegetable shortening
260g sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used clear vanilla extract)
Optional- Gel dye

Method

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. 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.
3. Take rounded half teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. 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 and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy. (Optional: Blend in a tiny bit of gel dye until you reach the desired color.)
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. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Enjoy! xx

PS. I'm off to Paris for a couple of days tomorrow (eek!) very early in the morning and so won't be posting again until at least Thursday. Have a good week! xxx