Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Good morning, dolls!

Is anyone else sick and tired of this weather? Beautiful and sunny one day and then the next day it's rainy and cold. Not to mention it's completely doing in my sinuses. I always can tell it's gonna rain by the headache I get right beforehand and sure enough I woke up to rain and gloom. Ick. It does make it perfect weather for cleaning, baking, and cuddling with the hubby when he gets home. I only have a few more days before my man has to leave for awhile, so I plan on spending every moment I can with him. I can't believe we are here again, I feel like he just got home. But, more on that another day...

Speaking of BAKING! One of my all time favorite things to do. I bake when I'm happy about something (in celebration if you will), when I'm upset, stressed - because at the end you always have a sweet treat to make you feel just a little bit better. With this deployment coming up I have a feeling I will be in the kitchen alot, and I find alot of my recipes on pinterest. The homemade oreos I made the the other day was a pinterest recipe. First of all, if you aren't on pinterest yet, you are crazy. Go over there right now and sign up. Seriously. I thought the whole idea of pinterest was ridiculous and pointless but it is SO NOT. And you'll see why. If you want to make the homemade oreos, here is the recipe! It is from Sugar Cooking. There are alot of other great recipes too so check out the rest of the blogs! (My notes are with the *) Enjoy!

Recipe: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
For the chocolate wafers:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa *I used hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder and it was great!
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar *I used a little less than 1 1/2 cups
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

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

Directions:

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

- Laura