OREOS!

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I am planning my daughters sweet 16 party for this Saturday. She actually is officially 16 as of 39 minutes ago! Wow, so strange to say. I let her drive on the freeway for the first time tonight. She did really good! I am so proud of her I must say she is the most amazing & responsible 16 year old I know. OK enough I'm sorry...



Anywho I started making retro desserts for her 1950's themed part. I made these "Oreos" the other day and someone was asking for the recipe so I thought I'd post a picture and the recipe for all who feel like whippin up a batch or homemade vs store bought.




They turned out really good. The fam wasnt really happy when I put them in the freezer for the party. I caught hubby going out to the garage fridge to sneak one and I busted him!

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (recommended: Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
Vanilla-cream filling, recipe follows
Vanilla-Cream Filling:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Set 2 racks in the middle and upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. In a food processor or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. While pulsing or on low speed, add the butter, then the egg. Process or beat until the dough is thoroughly blended and massed together. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheets at 2-inch intervals. With moistened fingers, round out the cookies and flatten them a little. Bake for 9 minutes, turning the pans once for even baking, until the cookies are set. Set the cookie sheets on a rack to cool.

Vanilla-Cream Filling: Put the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and, at low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, until blended. Turn the mixer up to high and beat for 2 or 3 minutes more, until fluffy.

With a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip, pipe teaspoon size blobs of filling onto the tops of half the cookies. Keeping the smooth bottoms of the cookies facing up, flip the remaining cookies on top of the filling and lightly press to form sandwiches.

Wayne Harley Brachman, Retro Desserts

I pretty much stuck to the recipe only I went easy on the vanilla for the cream filling. I think I used 1 1/2 tsp vs 2. Also I did not use rounded spoonfuls. I was much more precise. I used a tsp and I scraped the top then rounded the dough into a ball in my hand then flattened on the cookie sheet. This helped to ensure they would fit together and that they would be the actual size of an Oreo. The first time I made them way to BIG! So I had to adjust.

Well tomorrow I am going to work on Cadence's b-day banner and hopefully get some more baking done. More pictures tomorrow. That big fluffy bed is calling my name.