Homemade Oreo Cookies !

For years I have tried to recreate the taste and texture of an Oreo cookie. I always stopped at the cookie, I could never get the chocolate dark enough, or the cookie crisp enough (I settled on the idea that there would be no "Oreo" imprint on mine).

Finally, I have it ! After much research, and suggestions from friends, here it is !

Homemade Oreo Cookies
For the chocolate cookies:
1 1/2 cups flour (regular all purpose is best)
1/2 cup dark Dutch processed cocoa (I liked the King Arthur Flour double dutch processed the best)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg

For the creme filling:
1/4 cup (half a stick) of room temperature butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons white vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all the dry ingredients, including the sugar until well mixed. Leave mixer on low speed, and add butter, then egg. Mix until dough comes together in a ball. Place rounded spoonfuls of dough on the parchment line cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the bottom of a glass. They may stick a bit, but this is the best way to get a consistent shape and thickness.

Bake on the middle racks of the oven for approximately 9 minutes, then remove and let them rest on the pan for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

To make the filling, cream the butter and shortening together in a mixing bowl, then add the sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. You will need to use a pastry bag to fill the cookies. And it takes some muscle, so I had Ray help with the filling:

Put a teaspoon "blob" in the middle of one of the cookies, and press another one on top. Squeeze to press the filling out to the edges of the cookie. These are going with me to the annual Bake Off at work tomorrow. Let's see how I do !