Homemade Oreos!

For the past couple of months I have had a craving for homemade oreo cookies. With all the time at work that I have I researched some recipes and picked one out to try. However, after I bought the stuff to make them I never got the motivation to actually bake the cookies b/c our kitchen is always so dirty! Last night all of my roommates went out of town except for one, and she was gone for the night so I took the opportunity to clean the kitchen thoroughly and make my cookies!

I also got a pleasant surprise... Bryce is home! He has become one of my best friends and I have missed him a lot. He had surgery on his jaw almost 2 weeks ago and has been at home since. He got back last night and so I invited him to help. He claims to be a great cookie maker. Time to show me your stuff! Though he couldn't talk it was SO much fun. And it's a good thing he helped. I didn't know the difference between confectioner's sugar and sugar, and some of the cooking terms kept me puzzled. He knew the answer to everything. The cookies were a success thanks to his knowledge... I have a lot to learn. But that's why I'm baking so that I can learn before it's too late! Here is the finished product. I took this picture at work. Preview of what I'm going to eat for my snack :) They are soooo yummy! And they were really easy to make. I think I've eaten 5 already today. I really should stop since I can't exercise them off til the end of the summer haha. If you're interested, here is the recipe. I think they would be fun to make with kids too... maybe that'll be my mom specialty haha... maybe.

Homemade Oreos by Smitten Kitchen:

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 salt1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter1 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 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.
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.
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 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.