Homemade Oreos

This post is for my friend Joyce, who loves treats as much as I do. When I told her I was starting a blog, she asked if I was going to put this recipe on it. Of course, Joyce, of course. In fact, she was telling me about a time when she made these with her sisters and tested out different fillings. They made cream cheese, chocolate, and mint frostings for between the layers. Mint was the winner!  I'll have to get her mint frosting recipe someday, but for now I'll be sharing the recipes for the original cream cheese frosting and a fluffy peanut butter frosting, my personal favorite. 

These cookies are as easy as they get.  The trick is to keep the cookies soft (I am pretty opposed to crunchy cookies) and to have a good frosting-to-cookie ratio.  Ratios involving frosting are always important and, in my opinion, should be close to 1:1. 

Here are some with blue cream cheese frosting that I made for a boy baby shower.

HOMEMADE OREOS

• 2 packages Devil's food cake mix (I use Betty Crocker cakes mixes.  For some reason, other brands don't turn out as well.)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs using a mixer; it will be a thick mixture. 

Roll batter into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet with Silpat (silicone baking sheet).

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. 

NOTE:  When you pull the cookies out of the oven, they will be a little puffy.  I like to use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten the cookies out while they are still hot.  This makes them nice and flat and lump-free.

Let cookies cool completely on a cooling rack. 

Spread filling between two cookies.

NOTE:  I like to use a pastry bag to spread the frosting.  It's way faster, looks better, and provides enough frosting so it's not all cookie. 

ANOTHER NOTE:  If you like a good portion of frosting on each cookie, you'll need more than the cream cheese frosting below.  I would double it to make sure you have enough.  If you prefer a thin layer, the amounts below are plenty. 


CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream cream cheese and butter together in mixer.

Add vanilla.

Add powdered sugar, a little at a time and beat well after each addition. 



Here's the peanut butter frosting version: 

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
* from allrecipes.com

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter and peanut butter in mixer. 

Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, a small amount at a time, beating well after each addition.

When the frosting thickens, add needed milk, a little at a time. 

Beat for at least 3 minutes or until it is a little fluffy.

NOTE:  I would suggest using something other than natural peanut butter for this recipe.  The separate oil in natural peanut butter makes it difficult to get the right texture for the frosting.  Stick with hydrogenated oils on this one.