Homemade Oreo Cookies
How do you feel about making Oreo cookies at home? Make them as thin or thick as you want, and fill them with all the vanilla frosting you want. If you are not a fan of double-stuffed Oreos, I give you the best tip for making a thinner and firmer filling.
Servings 20 filled cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter melted and lukewarm
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 ounces semisweet chocolate melted and lukewarm
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Beat 1 cup butter and ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl until very well mixed.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 7 ounces semisweet chocolate in 2 parts. Mix well.
- Add 1 egg and mix until well incorporated.
- Sift over this mixture (or do it in a different bowl and then add) the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Do it in 2 parts for easier mixing. Make sure it's very well mixed, leaving no dry spots.
- Have a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter.
- Place half of the batter in the form of a shaggy log lengthwise, and roll the plastic (as you would cinnamon rolls) making a cylinder with the cookie dough. It will feel bloated so lightly pierce the plastic wrap in a few places to release air bubbles. The tighter the better. The ends of the plastic will be rolled; tuck them underneath.
- Repite with the rest of the dough.
- Refrigerate the logs until firm enough to cut, about 1 hour and up to 1 week (or frozen 1 month). Place them in a smooth place in the fridge so that they keep their round shape as much as they can.
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (165°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper,
- Cut the logs into rounds about ¼ inch thick.
- Re-shape them again with your hand to create the best circular shape you can and arrange on the sheets an inch or two apart.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are somewhat firm to the touch.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before filling. Let the filling harden or set before eating.
For the filling:
- Mix ½ cup butter, 1 ⅔ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milkPinch of salt in a large bowl until creamy and smooth.
- Add more sugar if you want a firmer filling. The amounts of powdered sugar and butter may need to be adjusted depending on the brands.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Using brown butter for the filling: follow instructions to make brown butter, let cool completely and use as directed in the filling part of the recipe.
Baking: do a test bake with a few and see how long it takes to get the desired result. Cookie sizes and ovens differ and a minute or two can make a big difference.
Storing: the individual cookies (no filling) can be stored for weeks (or months!) in airtight tins. Once filled 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, well covered to avoid freezer burn.