Oreos may have just taken over the world.
Really, I think they may have a monopoly market in the cookie industry. They couldn’t just be fine with producing the simple and beloved Oreo cookie, but they had to go and make them in every flavor known to man from the most recent Reese’s Peanut Butter Oreo to the supposedly “limited edition” Birthday Cake Oreo.
When will it ever stop???
People like my husband probably live to see each new flavor that graces the presence of grocery store shelves, but I on the other hand am not a devout Oreo lover. There I said it. Go ahead and throw eggs at me. You’ll just have to clean up your computer screen later.
But really, they’re dry. Now soaked in milk? That’s another story. Then, and only then, they are delicious.
I do love a good old homemade Oreo. You know those ones that you make with a few eggs, some cooking oil and a box cake mix? Don’t get me started on why people call them homemade Oreos when they taste nothing like the crisp dry cookie, but whatever. They taste good and that’s all that matters, right?
Well I haven’t made these cookies in years because, first of all, I haven’t bought a prepackaged cake mix in years, ever since I started really getting into baking. And, second of all, cake mixes have gluten in them. That or the gluten free cake mixes aren’t worth buying because they taste like…hmmm, poop.
It dawned on me the other day that I could probably just omit the liquid from my favorite Chocolatey Chocolate Cupcakes, add in some eggs, water and oil and essentially I would end up with the same thing; a fudgy decadent chocolate cookie that would be the perfect canvas some fluffy white cream frosting. Bingo, Chocolate Whoopie Cakes!
It took a bit of altering with the dough, but eventually I conquered the correct ratios to produce a soft and chewy brownie-like cookie. The great thing is that these cookies are also dairy free. Well, not great for us because we can have dairy, but great for you others that may have a dairy allergy.
Because the cookie was dairy free, I decided to make a dairy free frosting as well. I used strictly shortening instead of adding butter. This frosting actually tastes like the frosting in an Oreo cookie, only lighter in texture. Yeah, yeah…cry all you want about eating shortening. It’s a cookie people! It’s not supposed to be healthy. Again, just eat one and maybe do a few sit ups. They freeze great so you can just pull them out on a day you know you will need a little, uh, stress relief.
Homemade Oreo? Whoopie Cake? Call it what you will. All I know is that these are good, Oreos or not!
- For Cookies:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon gluten free oat flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- For Frosting:
- ½ cup shortening
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons almond milk (original)
- pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer beat together eggs, oil, and sugar until sugar is dissolved (about 2 minutes). Add water and vanilla to the mixture and beat to combine.
- In a smaller mixing bowl sift together oat flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- Add flour mixture into stand mixer and mix into wet mixture until thoroughly combined. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet drop 1 inch balls with a cookie scoop 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes until slightly set and puffy.
- Immediately slide parchment paper, with cookies, off onto a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before assembling.
- To make frosting, beat shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, salt and 1½ cups of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Add almond milk and beat until incorporated. Add remaining cup of powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add more almond milk (thinner) or powdered sugar (thicker) for desired consistency.
- Assemble cookies by putting about 2 teaspoons of frosting on half of the cookies (the bottom side) and topping with remaining cookies.
- Store leftover cookies in fridge or freezer.
