Homemade Oreos

There's something about that first bite of an Oreo cookie that takes me reeling straight back to my childhood. I can remember the way I liked to stack them in tall piles, piles that were way too large for such a small child to be consuming, and then eating them one by one, each a little differently. Some I would eat whole, others I would twist apart, scraping out the center to eat first, and savoring the cookies which were my favorite part. But my absolute favorite way to eat Oreos was dunking them whole, in a nice big glass of cold milk.
To this day that's still the way I enjoy to eat them. Although I don't allow myself to eat them very often nowadays, because left to my own devices, I do believe I could polish off an entire package. Honestly, it's a problem. And that's why after I baked these bad boys I promptly gave them away, because I knew it wouldn't be long before I started stacking them in piles and eating away the whole batch one by one.

Ok, ok, so maybe I enjoyed one or two before giving them away.
If you're an Oreo fan, you've got to try these cookies. I was amazed at how much they tasted like the originals, albeit in a freshly baked, more sophisticated sort of way. The chocolate really shines through in the cookie portion, and even though I'm not a huge fan of the filling in store-bought Oreos, I was a fan of the homemade stuff. It had the same flavor, but the consistency was fluffier and the taste was fresher.

As good as these cookies are, I will mention that the first time I made them I wasn't completely happy with the way they looked. They were thicker than I had hoped, and the tops were more cracked than I would have liked. So the next time around I used the stand mixer instead of the food processor (not really sure if this made a difference or not), and I flattened them on the cookie sheet much thinner than I had before. This time the cookies came out smoother, and were the perfect size thickness.
Alright, let's make some Oreo goodness! First step is to mix all the dry ingredients together. That means you, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
After the dry ingredients are mixed, add in the butter, and then the egg, until the dough comes together as one mass. As you can see, these are the pictures from the first batch I made, just pretend they're in the bowl of a stand mixer.
And now you've got dough! To make the cookies, drop them by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone mat. We don't want these babies sticking, no sir. Roll each one into a ball and then flatten them as flat as they'll go while staying an even thickness all the way around.
Ok so a note on the cooking time. If you want a traditional crisp Oreo cookie, cook them for 9 minutes. If you want to make some that are on the softer side, experiment with keeping them in for about 6-7 minutes instead.
These ones were from the first batch I made. See how they're a little jaggedy on top? I wasn't feeling that. They still were charming in their own way though. While the cookies are cooling, go ahead and make the filling. Mmmmm, mysterious Oreo filling. Ever wonder what's in the stuff? Well in these Oreos it's pretty simple - butter, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla. Not the healthiest stuff, but probably a lot better for you than whatever kind of preservatives they use in store-bought Oreos.
Mix the butter and shortening together, than add in some sifted powdered sugar very slowly.
Guess what? For the second batch I made I didn't sift the powdered sugar. That's right, I'm a rebel. And you know what? They turned out just fine. If you're worried about any lumps though, then I would recommend the sifting just to be safe.
After the sugar gets mixed in, add some vanilla, and your filling is ready for action. A piping bag is not essential for these cookies, but it is a little easier than using a spoon, and the filling ends up more even.
Add a dollop to each cookie, put another cookie on top of it and (this is the best part) smooosh them together till the filling reaches the edges.
Now you're ready to eat some Oreos! If you're a milk dunker like I am, make sure to get a big glass of the cold stuff, as I have a feeling you'll be enjoying a lot of these. And don't worry, they're good to the last, soggy bite.
Homemade Oreos
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from here

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

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.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 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.