Homemade Oreos

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (45 grams, but cocoa weights can vary greatly) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups (200 to 300 grams) sugar [see recipe note]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 140 grams) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 55 grams) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable shortening
2 cups (240 grams) sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

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 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.
5. 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.

From whence it came:  We can thank the Smitten Kitchen for this doozie!!!  And I want to be sure and give Smitten Kitchen full credit!  You can find the recipe here:

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/

I Googled "Homemade Oreos" and this was the first recipe that came up.  I've made homemade Oreos before using a recipe that used a cake mix, and they were good, but these are better.  A.Lot.Better.

Why it's blogable:  You might read the recipe and think these cookies are too much work.  They're not.  The payoff is well worth making the filling and taking the time to put it between 2 heavenly chocolate cookies.  It's really not a difficult recipe.  Make it.  Make it now!  Why are you still reading?  I said go and make these now!

Why I made them today:  We have one of the coolest people I have ever met visiting us right how and these are his favorite cookies.  So I just had to make them for him.  Because he is cool, and funny, and nice, and so many other wonderful words.  His name is Grant Gagon, but I call him Elder Gagon, or Elder G. because I first met him when he was a missionary serving in our neck of the woods.  Our family fell in love with Elder G. and eventually we met his family and we fell in love with them, too!  The Gagons are great and we are so very grateful for our friendship with the Gagons!! 

I can't believe you're still reading this post and not in your kitchen whipping up a batch of these marvelous cookies.  They have basic ingredients that you probably have on hand so no excuses.  Go make 'em.  

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!