Warned and Changed

I have seen the light, my ways will change... 

Everyone who knows me knows my weakness for sweets. My  Achilles' heel  is cupcakes. I have never really been a chocolate girl, I prefer white cake or almond cake and white vanilla icing is always my favorite. 

 But thanks to Deb from Smitten Kitchen.com, chocolate has definitely hit my favorites list. Move out of the way white and cake... homemade oreos have knocked you out of the park. Deb's easy homemade oreos recipe from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman, are spectacularly easy and delicious. I made these on Wednesday, last week and they didn't survive past Thursday afternoon. Thanks Deb!

Homemade Oreos

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

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 to 1 1/2 cup 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 shorting

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 F. 

In the food processor or bowl of and electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, sugar and salt. while pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until the dough comes together in a mass. 

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

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, at low speed, gradually to beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and bead for 2 to  3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.  To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, ( I used a sandwich baggie with a small hole cut at one corner) pipe teaspoon-sized blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk. Yum!

 Note: I only used  1 cup of sugar for the cookies, the cream filling is very sweet so the cookies don't need to be super sweet.

P.S. Dad, don't worry, I am will still eat and enjoy chocolate! After all, I am your kid.