Homemade Oreos

Homemade Oreos

March 11, 2011
I got to know Emma Reddington through her amazing site The Marion House Book. The first time I checked it out (on the advice of the always spot on Vitamin Daily girls) I realized that an hour had disappeared while I devoured all the envy-making house tours, design features and food posts. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I sent Emma a little love note (since we’ve started SPC I find myself doing this more) and we got to emailing. Even though she’s the busiest of bees – a design business, a website, oh, and a son! – she agreed to do a post for us. The cookies that she and Henry whipped up for us look insanely good. Which doesn’t surprised me, Emma obviously loves to cook and bake but Henry is no slouch in the good taste department himself. The day after Emma sent me the post I bumped into him at an art opening. With his dad Myles, of course, he’s only two…
The moment I saw these two words, Homemade Oreos, I knew I had to give this recipe a try. Who doesn’t love an Oreo? And a homemade version, even better! It also kind of warmed my heart to know that the first Oreo my son would ever eat would be one that I had made him. How’s that for a bragging right!
My trick for baking with a 2 year old is to be prepared and use “The Machine”. Before I enlist Henry’s help I make sure I have all of my ingredients measured out, my baking sheets lined, the oven warmed up and a sink full of warm, bubbly water. Then I pull out the piece de resistance – my Kitchen-Aid mixer – or as Henry likes to call it, “The Machine”. This is like the ultimate toy for him (and me!). {Word of caution – make sure you keep “The Machine” unplugged when you’re not using it as little hands will be testing out all the buttons especially when you’re not looking.}

This recipe consists of two parts: the wafers and the icing. There is nothing tricky about this recipe you literally throw all of the ingredients into the mixer and let it do the work. You might think when making the wafers that the dough is never going to come together but be patient, it does. Oh, and when a recipe says use room temperature butter they mean it!

Homemade Oreos (Adapted from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman via Smitten Kitchen)

Print
Homemade Oreos

Ingredients

  • Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies
  • For the chocolate wafers:
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (Fry’s Cocoa Powder will work in Canada)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons room-temperature, unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • For the filling:
  • 1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 cups sifted icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.

In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.

While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg.

Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. (Remember, you’re aiming for 50 to 60 of these individual wafers!)

With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough.

Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking.

Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.

Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie.

Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream.

Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. (I don’t think it’s entirely necessary to use a pastry bag. You could just spoon some icing on and squeeze between two wafers.)

Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Henry testing the wafer batter. He’s a tough critic!Henry helping make the icing using “The Machine”.

Once you’ve baked all the wafers and made the icing you can get to the fun part which is assembling the cookies. I’ll admit that at this point Henry had lost interest but I imagine older kids would really get a kick out of this part. The recipe suggests using a pastry bag but I think you could easily just spread the icing on and squeeze it between two cookies.

The end result…delicious; sweet and salty and reminiscent of the real thing!  If I made them again, I would try and eliminate some if not all of the vegetable shortening. I imagine this is in there to help stabilize the icing but it is a bit waxy tasting. Does anyone have any good ideas of what you could replace it with, other than all butter?

Henry’s a man of few words but here is what he had to say, “Good! More again?”  Man, I love that kid!

Tags BakingSnacksoreosCookiesChocolateDesserts
Category DairySnacks & DessertsSummerBy IngredientChocolateBy SeasonBy Meal Type

You might also like

Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Lunch

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

A few weeks ago we woke up on a Saturday and focused our eyes on a wild storm of snow in the sky. It was coming down fast and hard.

Better Than Classic Tuna Melt
Lunch

Better Than Classic Tuna Melt

How is this the first tuna melt recipe on the site? I don’t know what to say except that I guess it seems so basic that it doesn’t require a

Coconut Lentil Soup
Fall

Coconut Lentil Soup

You know what you can count on, when you live in Ontario, like we do? Winter. Every year. Right after fall. And yet… Lordy, the crying and belly-aching over the

30 Comments

  1. Jessica Johnson
    Jessica Johnson
    March 11, 07:33 Reply

    I love this and would try coconut oil for the shortening!
    Thanks for sharing!

  4. overfed annie
    overfed annie
    March 11, 08:43 Reply

    I am a big fan of the Marion House Book and happy to discover your lovely blog!
    I second the coconut oil idea. It’s super healthy and works very, very well in baking – I often substitute it for butter so I bet it would be great in place of that shortening!
    Thanks for the inspiration and happy weekend!

  5. Ceri Marsh
    Ceri Marsh
    March 11, 09:00 Reply

    Thanks for those suggestions, Jessica and Annie! Do you use coconut oil in the same amount as shortening? And does it give a coconut flavour? I’ve never tried it.

  6. Megan
    Megan
    March 11, 17:50 Reply

    Yum, those look so delicious! What a fun recipe to make with your kids.

  7. Emma at The Marion House Book
    Emma at The Marion House Book
    March 11, 22:17 Reply

    Good idea with the coconut oil. I’ve used it before in other recipes. I bet it would be good. Another excuse to make them!

    (I think I would probably just substitute the same amount.)

  8. elisa rathje
    elisa rathje
    March 14, 04:54 Reply

    oh, such a darling. i third the coconut oil – you can get one by omega that is slightly processed so it doesn’t have a taste of coconut, but then it’s lost a bit of it’s goodness. i think the coconut would taste good here, though! yum! however, nothing wrong with tons of butter, in my book! x

  9. Pamela
    Pamela
    March 24, 21:25 Reply

    Just a thought, how about a cream cheese filling? Our family loves this in the Oreo cookies I make:

    4 oz cream cheese, softened, 2 TBSP butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 c. icing sugar.

    Mix this all together and spread between the cookies. It is easily doubled.

  11. Mike
    Mike
    April 08, 11:42 Reply

    Beautiful photos, delicious recipe, great-looking blog – a perfect post!

  12. the marion house book » the friday files
    April 15, 08:17 Reply

    […] out gastronomical blogs of all kinds, The Kitchn, picked up my Homemade Oreos post that I did for The Sweet Potato Chronicles. So as you can see it was a bit of a foodie week for me. Have you seen these sites before? Any other […]

  13. Kelly McKinley
    Kelly McKinley
    April 15, 23:43 Reply

    Crunchy deliciousness. Made them tonight for a casual gathering of good friends and all but four were devoured. In one sitting.
    BTW made the cream cheese version of the icing – silken and sweet.
    According to Will, my 6 year old, – the best cookies ever.
    Thanks, Emma.

  14. Lindsey
    Lindsey
    May 24, 23:51 Reply

    I had homemade oreos as a shop in NYC and have been looking for a recipe ever since. These look amazing!

  16. rachael
    rachael
    November 01, 20:12 Reply

    This was awhile ago, but I would replace the shortening with cream cheese.

  17. Kathie
    Kathie
    November 01, 22:00 Reply

    I think I’m the only one who is happy to see a homemade Oreo recipe that does NOT have cream cheese in the filling! There is no cream cheese in Oreo filling and frankly, I just don’t think it would taste right. So, thank you for not including it. I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  18. Rachael
    Rachael
    November 04, 17:47 Reply

    This looks awesome! When I read the recipe (before I got to you asking for substitutions), I was already thinking that I would make the center creme filling with just a bit of creme to make it spreadable (instead of the oil), I don’t think it would need as much (maybe 2 TBS, I’m not positive). Coconut oil is also a great suggestion and shouldn’t add any flavor. None that I have ever noticed, anyway and I have a pretty sensitive palate.

  19. Stephanie
    Stephanie
    December 17, 00:49 Reply

    I’ve made these before and used a cooked flour frosting recipe (like the creamy vanilla frosting from magnolia bakery). Then I added marshmallow creme and a little powdered sugar because the cooked frosting is really light and not very sweet–no shortening, and delicious!

  20. Christen
    Christen
    December 23, 14:03 Reply

    I found this on Pinterest and decided to give it a try to hand out as Christmas gifts. I think people will be intrigued when they see “homemade” oreos. I am in the middle of making them now and they are turning out perfect. I had to add a little milk to the frosting to make it spreadable, but it wasn’t even a tsp. Now they are perfect and smell amazing. I think my family is going to love them. Thank you!

  23. Katie
    Katie
    August 28, 20:15 Reply

    Oh my! These were soooo good. I used cream cheese in place of the shortening in the creme filling and carob powder for the wafer dough. Oh. So. Good.

  24. Amy
    Amy
    September 01, 14:15 Reply

    How long do you cook the cookies? I’m guessing about 10 minutes?

  25. wendy
    wendy
    January 17, 09:49 Reply

    Lovingthis recipie! Has anyone tried freezing these oreo’s and if so with which filling? I fancy the coconut oil version but do you mean solid oil or liquid. Mouth watering and I haven’t even turned the oven on yet!

  26. Zack
    Zack
    May 04, 13:22 Reply

    Instead of putting vegetable shortening i just added more powdered sugar till it was the thickness that I liked. Way better than oreos by the way. Real rich as well!

  27. Lj
    Lj
    August 01, 11:57 Reply

    Just wondering if the cookies are crispy? They look soft like a whoopie pie I’m trying to find an “Oreo” remake with the crispy melt in you mouth cookies

  28. USA business emails
    USA business emails
    November 20, 23:42 Reply

    hello!,I really like your writing so a lot! share wwe communicate extra approximatelyy your post on AOL?
    I require a specialoist iin this area to solve my problem.

    May bee that’s you! Looking ahead to peer you.

  29. helicopter game
    helicopter game
    December 13, 12:30 Reply

    We are a groip of volunteers and startig a new
    scheme in our community. Your site offered us with useful information to work on. Youu
    have performed a formidablke activity andd our whole group might be grateful to you.

  30. purchase email listsbusiness
    purchase email listsbusiness
    December 16, 13:19 Reply

    whoah this weblog іs fantastic i love studying үour posts.
    Stay up the gooԁ worқ! You recognize, mɑny persons are searching
    round foor tɦis info, ʏou can aid them greatly.

Leave a Reply