Homemade Oreos

Oreos are one of those supermarket staples that everybody likes. I think I do not know a single person that dislikes Oreos. I have to admit they are not my favorite, because, well, chocolate is not my favorite thing. I've been an asthmatic for as long as I can remember and chocolate is one of my biggest triggers. Chocolate is delicious, but I will take anything vanilla or almond flavored over it almost every time.

Last week I had this super weird craving for some Oreos, so instead going across the street to buy them, I baked them! So much better than the boxed thing! (Sorry, Nabisco!) Nothing beats the satisfaction of knowing what is in your food. These take a little more effort than just buying a box of cookies, but they are worth it! The recipe I used is adapted from recipes by Thomas Keller and Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 

Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups + 1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup + 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar

Make the filling!

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to bubble (about 4 minutes). Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Do not mix before letting it sit. After the required time has elapsed, whisk until smooth. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Make the cookies!

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt on a bowl. Set aside.

On the bowl of an electric mixer, place the butter and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and light. Lower the speed of the electric mixer and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. 

Form the dough into 2 disks, cover them with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

After the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the disk until approximately 1/8 inch thick. Cut the cookies using a fluted biscuit cutter. I used a linzer cookie cutter. Place the shaped cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for a total of 10 minutes, and make sure to rotate the cookie sheets at the 5 minute mark.

After the cookies are completely cooled, turn half them bottoms up. Transfer the chilled filling to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. 

Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe about 1 teaspoon of filling to each turned cookie.

Put the remainder cookies on top of the filled cookies. Enjoy!