Week 35: Oreos!

A couple years back, one of my cowkrers told me about a homemade Oreo recipe that was delicious.  She passed it along, but I never got around to making it.  Reading through my Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook, I discovered she had a recipe for homemeade Oreos as well (though she calls them "Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies).  I call them yum.  I planned ahead and made a double batch so I'd actually have some to take to work tomorrow.

Check out this crackly goodness:

And even better, with cream filling!

And better yet...a table full of cookies!

The first batch I put in the oven were HUGE.  I decided that no one would eat them if I created sandwich cookies out of them.  Well, I would eat them.  But I suspect quite a few of my coworkers would shy away from eating a giant cookie sandwich.  So instead, I made some open-faced Oreos. Mmmm.

Lessons learned and recipe thoughts:

1. Do not substitute a 2" ice cream scoop for the 1 1/4" the recipe calls for.  Unless, of course, you want giant cookies.  If so, carry on.

2. Oreos are great.  But homemade Oreos are amazing.

3. I know I sound like a broken record, but this recipe is EASY.

Martha Stewart's Cream-Filled Chocolate Sandwiches

Ingredients

Makes about 30.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Into a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.

3.Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar; press to flatten cookies to about 1/8 inch thick. (You may need to carefully remove dough from glass with a thin metal spatula.)

4.Transfer to oven, and bake until cookies are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely.

5.Place cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler, and pipe about 1 tablespoon filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top, and gently press on each to squeeze filling to edges. Filled cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.  
 
 
Vanilla Cream Filling

Ingredients


Makes about 1 cup <--- I did the math, and it's impossible for this recipe to only make 1 cup.  I made just a single batch of the filling to go with my double batch of cookies, and it was plenty.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions


1.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.