Homemade Oreos

I asked my two boys  if they would help me with the photo shoot for this post. Two very willing hand models appeared out of nowhere. Now if I could only get them to be so enthusiastic to volunteer when oreos aren't involved.



Homemade Oreos

from Wayne Brachman's Retro Desserts,

Makes about 25 sandwiched cookies

For the Cookies:
150g plain flour
45g unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
200g caster sugar
140g room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the Filling:
55g room-temperature, unsalted butter
50g vegetable shortening (if you can get it, otherwise use another 50g butter)
240g sifted icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 180 degrees C.

Make the Cookies:
In a food processor, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, bi-carbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing until the dough comes together in a ball.

Take rounded teaspoons of the dough and place on a baking paper-lined baking sheet approximately 4cm apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a wire rack to cool.

Make the Filling:

Place butter and shortening (or all butter) 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.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1cm, 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.