Homemade Oreos

I do love to cook and try new things. This weekend I was in the mood for "homemade" Oreos, so I looked on the web and found this recipe:

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies With Vanilla-Cream Filling

Cookies:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1. Set 2 racks in the middle and upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a food processor, thoroughly mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. While mixing on low speed or pulsing, add the butter, then the egg. Beat or process until the dough is thoroughly blended and massed together.

3. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets at 2-inch intervals. With moistened fingers, round out the cookies and flatten them a little. Bake for 9 minutes, turning the pans once for even baking, until the cookies are set. Sit the cookie sheets on a rack to cool.

Vanilla-Cream Filling:

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and, at low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, until blended. Turn the mixer speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes more, until fluffy.

2. To assemble, place teaspoon size blobs of filling onto the tops of half of the cookies. Keeping the smooth bottoms of the cookies facing up, flip the remaining cookies on top of the filling and lightly press to form sandwiches. (You can also pipe filling onto cookies using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip.)

Makes 36 cookie sandwiches

I thought the above filling was less than spectacular, but the cookies were fabulous. So I tried them again with the following cream cheese frosting. I halved the recipe and it was plenty.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick butter, softened

2-4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Just blend it all together in the mixer until fluffy and the right consistency.

These were WAY better!

Happy baking!