O-R-E-O

I often wonder what I'm going to have for cravings when I'm pregnant. My sister said that she liked mustard on everything. Another one of my friends said that on the hottest day of summer she made her husband drive her to the store for baked beans and that they had never tasted as good as they did on that sweltering day. Of course there are the legends of women loving pickles and ice cream during pregnancy. I'm sort of a weird eater in the first place so I'm curious. I will tell you what...I will miss sushi.

I made these homemade Oreos and had to bring a few to my expecting friend Annie. She emailed me later in the day and said she didn't share them with her husband. Of course not!! I made them for her and the little one! They have growing to do and what better way to grow than eat some chocolate.

I have to say, these don't really taste like Oreos. At all. They are delicious...I mean...they are chocolate cookies with buttercream sandwiched between them. How can you go wrong with that?!

If you decide to give these a whirl give yourself some time...they need time to chill.

Oreos
Source: Food Network Magazine
Yield: 32 cookies

1 1/3 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the dough: Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces; place one piece between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Refrigerate both rectangles, covered with the parchment sheets, until firm, at least 1 hour or up to several days.

Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into 64 circles. (You can reroll the scraps once.) Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Bake the cookies until they are set and slightly darker around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Using a mixer, cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

Flip half of the cookies upside down and top each with 1 level tablespoon of filling. Press the remaining cookies on top to make sandwiches.