From Horses to Photography: Homemade Oreos

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When my sister and I were little, we LOVED Oreos. So my mom, being a smart woman she is, bought boxes and boxes of snack-size Oreo packs for us to bring for lunch everyday. This went on for a few years, three Oreos for every lunch.

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Needless to say, that few years of Oreo overdose nearly made me not want to eat another Oreo for the rest of my life. Well, maybe not the rest of my life, but until a few years ago I was able to eat Oreo again.

It is still my favorite store-bought and packaged cookie.
It is the only ingredient that I will allow in my dessert, especially in vanilla custard from Culver's.

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A couple days ago was the beloved Oreo's 100th birthday.
I thought I would celebrate the birthday by making a homemade version of it.

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They turned out deliciooous! I used the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, the chocolate wafer came out a bit greasy. The cream, on the other hand, was the best part of all.

Homemade Oreos
Makes 30 to 35 cookies
(Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Chocolate wafers:
1 1/2 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 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Cream filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, add egg. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients into butter/sugar mixture on slow speed. Continue to mix until dough comes together in mass.
2. Scope dough rounded teaspoon size and place on greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough with palm of hand.
3. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
4. To make cream, place butter and cream in a mixing bowl. Mix at low speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract.
5. To assemble cookie, use a butter knife and spread teaspoon size cream evenly on one cookie then top of with another cookie. Continue to do this until all cookies have been sandwiched with cream filling

Happy 100th Birthday, Oreo!