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This is a recipe well traveled…and well loved!  I got the recipe from Cupcake Project, who got the recipe from Laurie of Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese, and Carbs. Laurie got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who got the recipe from the book Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman.  I am reprinting it below with my some of my notes.

Why go to the trouble to make Homemade Oreos, you might ask.  Well, as you are well aware of by now, I am on a mission to feed my family more wholesome ingredients.  How are cookies wholesome?  Well, don’t get too excited.  These cookies aren’t healthy.  But, I don’t want to feed my family foods with high fructose corn syrup, and if I make them myself I can control the ingredients.  I can use organic flours if I want and organic butter, etc.  I know that I haven’t added any chemicals and everyone needs a treat every now and then!  My husband LOVES cookies, and what kids don’t love cookies?!?  I love to make a big batch of these for my family to enjoy and to share with others.  So, without further delay, here is the recipe so if you feel so inclined, you can do the same.

Homemade “Oreo” Cookies

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 C sugar
1/2 C plus 2 T butter (room temperature
1 large egg

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
2. Beat in the butter and the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place ona parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. (One tip from the previous bakers said that she would press the balls flat with the palm of her hand and then use cookie cutters to cut out perfect circles. This dough is way too sticky to roll out. However, what I ended up doing is rolling a ball in my hands, pressing it flat on the palm of my hand and then using a plastic cookie cutter right on my hand. Then, I peeled it off and put it on the baking sheet. This is the most tedious part… but believe me, it is worth it!)
4. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes (7 for soft, 9 for crunchy – like real Oreos) at 375 F. Set on a rack to cool.

The Filling

1/4 C room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 C vegetable shortening
2 C sifted powdered sugar
2 t vanilla extract

1. Place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.
2. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
3. To make a cookie, pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of a cookie using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you could easily just spread the filling with a knife or use a Ziploc with the corner cut off as a pastry bag).
4. 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.