Friday, May 13, 2011

Homemade Oreos in the House

These little sandwich cookies will blow your Oreo-loving mind.

Seriously.

The cream filling is indistinguishable from the stuff you'll find in their prepackaged counterparts. The chocolatey cookies will remind you of a softer version of their crispy, store-bought twins.

And don't even get me started on their cute, bite-size nature. Bite size = more cookies per serving.

Friends, let's just say these Oreo taste-alike treats are pretty darn delicious. Adam even went so far as to say they're the best cookies that have come out of the Hungry Spoon kitchen.

Really? The man's mother is practically a professional baker. How can I compete with that?

Apparently I just did :)

In addition to their fabulous tasty-factor, these cookies have so much potential for creativity. The cream filling can be dyed to color-coordinate with a party theme. Try adding mint extract and sneaking an Andes mint into the cream filling of each cookie sandwich. Or, add more filling, and roll the edges of each cookie in sprinkles.

Infinite possibilities!

One caveat to keep in mind: The dough is sticky and can be hard to manage! Keep the dough you're not working with in the refrigerator. The next time I make them (tonight?), I may actually experiment with freezing the dough.

Ultimately, just remember the moral of today's story: Once you go homemade Oreo, you may never go back.

Homemade Oreos

These classic little cookies will take you straight back to your childhood--be sure to enjoy with a tall glass of milk. And remember: the dough is very sticky. You may want to freeze it prior to using.

Cookie Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 - 2/3 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
Cream Filling Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 2 - 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 - 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
1) Cream the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk and beat until well-combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours (or, try freezing it? I'm going to experiment with this step).

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut another piece of parchment paper about the size of the cookie sheet you will be using. Divide the dough into 4 large chunks. Place 3 chunks back in the refrigerator, and place the remaining dough piece on the parchment paper. Cover dough with another piece of parchment paper, and use a rolling pin (on top of the parchment) to roll the dough into a disc about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.

3) Use a 1 - 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or, I used the rim of a shot glass!) to cut the cookies. Use a thin spatula (or careful hands) to place cookies on another piece of parchment paper. Be careful! Again, the dough is sticky and can be tricky to work with :)

4) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Allow to cool briefly on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.

5) To prepare the filling, cream the shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, and mix the powdered sugar in slowly. Filling should be thick and pliable.

6) To prepare your sandwich cookies, spread the filling on the bottom of one cookie, and top with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.





22 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh- you are a genius! I love Oreos, but they are filled with so many disgusting ingredients. I have to make these!

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  2. These cookies look great! I'm glad to see you highlight this cookie cookbook, I've had my eye on it for a while. :)

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  3. Wow---these look amazing! I'd love an oreo :)

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  4. What cute cookies! I love the look of them already.

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  5. These look great. My kids will get a serious kick out of making our own Oreo cookies!

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  6. Oh my do these cookies look so good. I love Oreos but homemade oreos sound even more amazing! :)

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  7. My mouth is totally watering...especially when you mentioned that the cookies are soft! That's just the way I love them! Oreos are good, but honestly, I've never been such a big fan because I much prefer softer cookies.

    I wish I could have a few of the ones you made! And yep...mini is definitely the way to go! I'd rather be able to eat three small ones instead of one larger one. :)

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  8. I am SO trying this recipe!

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  9. Homemade oreos? A woman after my own heart!!!

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  10. oh my husband might leave me for you if I show him you came up with these! ;) Oreos are his FAVORITE! They look perfect!

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  11. I'm such a sucker for Oreos, but nothing beats homemade! My roommate has made some a couple times, and I love them. Would be interested to try this vegan version, and you're right, they're so versatile!

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  12. this looks so good. you did an amazing job my friend:) have a great day.

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  13. Oh my gosh... this is the best ever.. without all the preservatives too! I've always wanted to make homemade Oreo cookies!

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  14. Homemade is always better and I can't wait to try this out! I like the idea of flavoring the filling, the possibilities are endless!

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  15. I've always loved finding recipes to make things you would normally buy at the store at home--so much fun & these look delish!

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  16. These could be seriously dangerous. But with a best cookie ever label, how could I ignore this recipe :)

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  17. Oh my gosh. These would not stand a chance. Not even half a chance.

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  18. You always make the best things, homemade oreos sound dangerous...but super amazing at the same time.

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  19. any recipe starring butter AND shortening cannot be bad
    Plus, TWO cookies are involved to make one giant awesome killer cookie!
    I'm making these soon

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  20. YUM! just put got these out of the oven. Excited to eat them. :)

    ps. I froze my dough for a few hours and it seemed to work great!

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  21. I was gonna use ready made oreos for my icecream cake but now i found this, i ll give it a try! Thank you!

    http://yumyumeten.wordpress.com/

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