Battle OREO

You may have noticed that I made Oreos not too long ago. For that batch I used a Food Network Magazine recipe. The result...good. Not great. Certainly not terrible. I think I was turned off by all the work you had to do to get the cookie part finished. Ugh.

In my Internet travels I have seen a lot of people making Oreos. Two trusted blog sites, Joy the Baker and Smitten Kitchen both did a variation of the Oreo and...well...I didn't know which would better...so I made both. :) I think homemade Oreos will make a fabulous holiday gift and really wow people at gatherings. I must have the perfect cookie. Here, the chocolate wafer cookie recipes go head to head.

Note: Joy didn't make Oreos but chocolate sandwich cookies with various fillings. I found that the Smitten Kitchen filling is perfect. I actually added a tiny bit of peppermint to the filling and thought it was fabulous. So in this battle the filling is not a factor.

Joy the Baker's Cookies:

Smitten Kitchen's Cookies:

The verdict: Joy the Baker's wafer cookie hardly edged out Smitten Kitchen's chocolate wafer. The SK recipe was a bit easier because you don't have to roll out the dough. My first try at these cookies left me with huge saucers. Be sure to use a small round of dough. Joy's cookie recipe resulted in a very light, delicate cookie. It sort of melts in your mouth. I love it. I have some in the freezer to see how they thaw for ease in holiday preparations. (They freeze well...both kinds)

Whichever you decide is your favorite, I hope you enjoy them. Actually, I promise you will enjoy them.

The Best Homemade Oreo Cookies
Sources: Smitten Kitchen and Joy the Baker
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
15 Tablespoons (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, but into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature (this is important)

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time. The mixture will have a sandy texture at first and then will begin to form peddle-size pieces. As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer. Make sure all the butter is well incorporated. If there are large butter pockets, mix for a few seconds more.

Form and roll the dough straight from the mixer. The dough becomes hard to work with if chilled.

Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to shape the dough into a block about 5 by 7 inches. Cut the block into two pieces.

One at a time, roll each block of dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper until about 1/8-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 2 inch rounds. Place 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can form and roll the dough scraps once after the first roll.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2 to 5 minutes. They’ll be too soft to move straight from the oven. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For filling, combine butter and shortening then add sugar and vanilla and peppermint if desired. Beat until fluffy.

To Assemble the Cookies:

Place half of the cookies upside down on a work surface. Place a dollop of filling on half of the cookies and top with another. Smoosh down a bit to spread the frosting to the edges.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.