Homemade Oreo Cookies

I will let you in on a little secret about me. I know alot about copying and printing. Why? I worked at Kinkos for four years. After my mission toRomania until a few months after Ben was born you could find me me in the blue apron full time. I am left with strange knowledge about how to unjam a machine, how to create a stapled booklet on a copyer, and how to blow up an image 400%. BUT...the biggest contribution Kinkos gave me was this recipe. One day, a fellow coworker, brought in these delights. My tastebuds were singing. Ohhh....soft chocolate-y goodness! After seeing the reaction from the guys there, I begged her for the recipe. I was still single and needing some delicious cookie recipes to make me a little more beautiful in the eyes of a young man. Mindy, if you are out there.... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. These truly are my hubby's favorite cookie on my holiday gift plate each year. His favorite way to eat them is with the frosting edges rolled in crushed candy cane. YUM!

But, you can roll them in sprinkles or crushed cookie crumbs. Use your imagination and make these your own. My sister in law, Emily, loved the softness of these cookies, but isn't a chocoholic, so she tried it with lemon cake mix. They were almost as yummy as the chocolate. Experiment and see the way you like them the most. And let me know what you try and works...

Here is the original recipe my Kinkos coworker gave me...

Homemade Oreo Cookies
Source: Mindy

2 boxes devils food cake mix
4 eggs
1 Cup Crisco
1 Container Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (*see note)

Mix first 3 ingredients in your mixer. This batter will be super think. Almost like bread dough. So thick I broke 2 hand mixers with this recipe and Paul went out and bought me my kitchenaid. Once the dough is well combined, roll into 1 inch balls for small cookies, bigger for larger cookies. Experiment and see what size you like. Bake at 350 degrees till cookie starts to look cracked on top. In my oven the perfect time is 9 min. Cool completely, frost, and sandwich together.

* You all know my feelings on frosting from a container...YUCK-O. However, this is the one exception for me for some reason. The container frosting just works for this cookie. That being said, I have used homemade cream cheese frosting and it is FANTABULOUS!!!

Still Alive!

No, this cake didn't take a month to make....just a month to post. The design is very simple, I am still not the most creative person, just a good copier of the geniuses out there. Thank you Pinterest! It was a double layer chocolate cake with marshmallow fondant over the top. I used a Christmas tree cookie cutters to do the trees, and then outlined and detailed with royal icing. It was for a church activity. They didn't know that I had included a little surprise with this order. Whoever finds the little piece of paper is the winner! (Embarrassing)

Our family Christmas was legend "wait for it" ary. During which I discovered the glories of How I Met Your Mother. Which, if you have watched, you will understand my "wait for it" joke. Or...you think I am a nut. It was legendary for our family because my littlest sister got engaged. SO FUN! Lots of planning and girl talk and remembering this exciting time in my own life. Congrats Sis!

Then I returned filled with goals and resolutions for the new year. I started a cleaning/ organizing/purging kick here at my house that has taken up every free second of my time and my hubbies. Every day I am adding to his "to do" list. He comes home at the end of the day, helps get kids to bed, and then marks stuff off of it, only to find more in its place the next day. Bless him! And...after three weeks of pushing our selves, our house is looking WAY better. Now, closets aren't falling in on us, the garage has work space, there is room for new Christmas toys, etc. Back to regular life again...which means....baking again. Good for my mental stability not good for my healthy resolutions. Oh well, one thing at a time, right?!