Homemade "Oreo" Cookies

I tackled the homemade Oreo. And I won.

So proud.
It just took some time and patience.

I freaked out when I was making the dough and thought I had ruined it somehow, cursing the heavens and ready to cry like a baby. But I kept on and followed the next step, rolled it out between the parchment sheets until it came together and resembled some form of dough. The dough has to chill in the fridge, for either up to an hour or several days (I chilled mine for 24 hours) until you can bring out the cookie cutters. The only round cookie cutter I had was pretty big (hence my giant Oreo's), but I also made a few mini ones, flower shaped ones, star shaped ones...

 Make them for a kid's birthday party. Add them to your Easter brunch spread. Devour them late at night while your husband is sleeping...

These are the perfect cookies, for every occasion, for every day...
 
Source: Food Network Magazine

For the Dough:
1 1/3 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter (or any round cookie cutter), cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Flip half of the cookies upside down and top each with 1 level tablespoon of filling. Press the remaining cookies on top to make sandwiches.


The icing will drip all over your fingers. But that's okay. You will feel like a kid again.