Homemade Oreo Cookies

I've given these cookies to friends, taken them to the office (several times), and not only are they always a hit (that's a no-brainer), but people ask if they're Oreos.

They are, but we all know how homemade versions of commercial cookies are not always on point. 

Well, this recipe is.

And the cookies without filling can be used for the crumb crust of our phenomenal Oreo cheesecake recipe. Just saying.

Ingredient list

• Cocoa powder: to get the deep color of these cookies, you need unsweetened dark cocoa powder, not the regular one.
• Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
• Unsalted butter. 
• White, granulated sugar.
• Egg: fresh.
• All-purpose flour.
• Baking soda: make sure it's not expired.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 

See the recipe card for quantities. 

How to make homemade Oreos

• Mix butter with sugar, then add the egg. 
• Add the melted chocolate. I do it in two parts to ensure it's well mixed (images 1 and 2, below).
• Sift the dry ingredients over the butter mixture (image 3) to ensure a smooth and faster mixing. This is a good tip because we don't want to overmix a batter or dough once the flour is added. 
• The batter will be soft and look somewhat grainy (image 4).

Make a log by dumping the chocolate mixture on a piece of plastic wrap, shaping, and then wrapping it in the plastic until it's as tight as can be. You might want to prick the plastic once or twice to release any trapped air. It will be somewhat irregular (image below).

At this point, it needs to be refrigerated until firm enough to cut. It can also be frozen up to a month. 

Baking 

When baking cookies we have to keep an eye on them as a minute or two can make a difference in texture and crunchiness. 

This can be tricky because the cocoa powder is very dark but will go from shiny wet to matte. 

Always remember to leave space between them as they spread during baking.

Vintage Kitchen tip: do a test run and bake a few and see how long it takes to get the result you want. Cookie sizes and ovens and a minute or two of extra baking time can make a big difference.  

The filling

Here, there are a few debates about how it should be. Some use white chocolate as part of it; some don't. Some fillings are fluffier than others. And so on. 

After trying several recipes, I still lean towards the easy filling, a simple buttercream with powdered sugar. It works so well, and it comes together so fast! 

The amount of filling and size of the sandwich cookies is up to you.

Browning the butter

But, there's a way to better the consistency of a simple filling - make it firmer so it doesn't overflow when you bite into your gorgeous homemade Oreos - and that is by using brown butter instead of regular butter. 

Brown butter is simply cooked butter and what happens is that the water is evaporated (yes, butter has water, sometimes a lot!).  So, what happens to the filling when you add it? Since there is less liquid the filling has a more solid structure and firms up once it dries. 

The downside is that brown butter is called that way because it turns golden, so your filling will not be as white as regular butter. 

You can read all about brown butter in this post. There are photos of how to make it and, of course, a detailed recipe. 

Storing 

• Individual cookies (no filling) can be stored in airtight tins for weeks (or months!). 
• Filled cookies: they keep for a few days in the same container. Remember that the filling will transfer some humidity to the cookies and soften them as the days pass. 
• Cookie dough: keep it in the freezer for at least a month. Baked cookies as well.