Homemade Oreo Cookies

This is another recipe that I received from my friend C, who is the author of the blog "Kitchen Slave". Unfortunately, her site was recently hacked so it is unavailable at the moment. I remember reading this recipe a long time ago, and I never considered making these cookies until she brought some of these cookies over as dessert and I absolutely loved them. It was not long that I decided to make them, particularly since the prep and cook time is pretty short.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups Sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 egg

For the filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 - 2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar (sifted)
2 tsp. Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together and can be formed into a ball.

Using two spoons, spoon batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, flatten the dough to 1/2" thickness.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on how crispy you would like your cookies to be. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat butter at low speed, then add in the sugar and vanilla, adding 1/2 cup of icing sugar at a time, periodically tasting the cream until you reach the desired sweetness. 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. You can also use a teaspoon or an offset spatula to cover one cookie with cream and then cover with the second cookie. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Originally, I actually made these cookies thinking that hubby would like them because they were peanut butter. However, afterwards to my chagrin, he told me that he doesn't really like cookies. I don't know if this is a recent development but I guess the search to find a dessert that he loves will continue. I myself, actually quite liked these cookies though...and making them was simple yet fun with the little bit of creativity needed for the design on top of the cookies. Being SO pregnant though...I was still winded by the end of the process and had to lean over the sink to relief a bit of the pressure in my hips while washing up...I guess there's not much I can do...and I am determined to stay mobile!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla extract and combine. Add peanut butter and continue to beat.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.

Pour flour mixture into wet ingredients and combine with a spatula until everything comes together.

Spoon onto cookie sheet using a fork to create a criss cross design.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.