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

(recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

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.