homemade oreo cookies

It’s almost summer and I should be making refreshing desserts like lemon bars and blackberry ice-cream.

That was the plan…technically.

See, I bought a ton of fresh berries this week and had all intents and purposes to make a refreshing treat, but then I looked in my cupboard and saw this:

Yes, shortening.

I forgot I had this stuff and upon seeing it all fruity desserts were scratched and all I could think about was frosting.

I didn’t want cake or anything heavy but I remembered that shortening was used in the icing for homemade Oreos! Yes!

So, that’s what I made.

I had never made or eaten homemade Oreos so I was kind of excited for this.

I am a HUGE lover of the store bought cookie and I wanted to see if they really did taste the same.

Also, my little brother has been bugging me about sending him something fun so I thought I’d give it a try.

After making them and tasting them over and over again, I can say that they taste SIMILAR, but not identical.

It’s probably because the homemade version uses fresh ingredients and no preservatives and stuff like that.

Like I said, they taste similar to store bought Oreos but not identical and TO ME, not better.

They’re good, yes! But, if I were to choose on the better flavor I would say the Oreos at my local supermarket wins.

I guess that I like and embrace preservatives in certain snack foods? Triglycerides and the like too.

Hey, I  am who I am.

So, that’s my story and conclusion on homemade Oreo cookies. They didn’t rock my world entirely, but I did enjoy them (really, i did!) and am pretty sure the little brother will as well.

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P.S.--Until yesterday morning I frequently used glass dishes in the oven. Never again. This can happen:

Oven explosion--no fun and even worse to clean up.

Homemade Oreos--adapted from 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 salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1 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

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
   
   
2. In a food processor mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and then the egg and continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass. Will be bulky.
   
   
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. Flatten the dough and bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.