Oreo Cookies!

I love finding good copy-cat recipes.  It's so fun to recreate a popular recipe using good quality ingredients and no preservatives.  More often than not, the homemade version is so much better!  I came across this homemade Oreo cookie recipe and decided to try it.

First, I made the cookie.  The dough seems thick and crumbly in the mixer, in the beginning.  I just kept mixing until it all came together.  I used a tablespoon to scoop the dough, then rolled it into a small ball, and flattened it a little on the cookie sheet with the bottom of a slightly wet, metal measuring cup.  They baked for about 10 minutes and looked like this:

If you want your cookie to end up closer to the size of a real Oreo, try using a teaspoon to measure the dough instead of a tablespoon.  I didn't even fill the tablespoon completely and I ended up with cookies that are approximately 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

The frosting was a simple mixure of sifted, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla.  The recipe I was working from called for a mix of butter and shortening, but I used all butter.  I think shortening is gross.  Once the cookies were completely cooled and the frosting was mixed, I began assembling.  First, I matched up all the cookies by size so I would have a more uniform Oreo in the end.  Then, I used a flat knife to put a dollap of frosting in the middle of one cookie (on the flat side) and pressed another cookie on top (flat sides facing each other), until the frosting reached the edges.

These are good!  They taste better than Oreos, in my opinion.  I was surprised at how quickly I was able to make these.  The recipe seems like it would be labor intensive, but really it is simple and easy.

Homemade Oreos

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 ¼ sugar
10 tbsp. (1¼ sticks)  butter, at room temperature
1 large egg

For the Filling

8 T. butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.

Combine dry ingredients for the cookies into mixer bowl.  Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.  Add room temperature butter and egg and mix until dough comes together.  Spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and then using a tablespoon, scoop your dough, roll it into a ball and place on baking sheet.  (For smaller cookies, use a teaspoon).  Using the flat end of a measuring cup, slightly flatten cookies before baking.  (If the measuring cup is sticking, moisten the bottom a little with water).  

Bake for 9-11 minutes.  Let cookies cool completely before assembling.

For the filling, sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into a mixer bowl.  Add butter and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Place a dollap of frosting on the flat side of one cookie and then press gently with another cookie (flat sides facing each other) until filling reaches the edges.

*Recipe slightly adaped from Annie's Eats.  

Annie's Eats Oreo Cookie Recipe