Chocolate Week day 5

So I thought I should steer away from Ice Cream for a day (seeing as my freezer is full at the moment). So I thought Cookies were perfect! And how can you have Chocolate week without at least one set of cookies? So I couldn't go with regular chocolate chips, too dull, common and I make them at least once a month... So I thought Homemade Oreo's would fit the bill. Crunchy (I'm going through a crunching craving phrase right now!), chocolaty, not overly sweet, perfect for snacking on. And since they have a cream cheese center (instead of LARD) they are much better tasting for my adult taste buds!

Chocolate cream sandwich cookies

makes about 40 sandwiches

2 ½ C Flour
1 tsp baking soda
12 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
1 C plus 2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (use peppermint extract for a fun minty taste)

2 large eggs
2 Tbsp water
2 C (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips melted

Sift flour and baking soda together, set aside. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 min. Add the eggs and water ad beat on medium speed until blended, about 20 sec. Add melted chocolate and mix until blended, about 5 sec. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 15 sec. Scoop rounded tsp of batter on greased cookie sheets (or parchment paper). Using the bottom of a glass press each cookie. Bake at 350 until firm to the touch, about 15 min. Cool them completely on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla
2-2 ½ C powdered sugar

Beat cheese, butter and vanilla until blended. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Spread a rounded tsp of filling on the bottom of half the cookies. Then top with the remaining cookies. Allow them to set for 2-3 hours in the refrigerators.

These are VERY crunchy the first day, but after sitting with the cream cheese in them they soften up quite a bit. SO if you like crunchy wait to frost them til you serve them, or eat them. Keep the cookies in a plastic bag and frost as you desire one or two. But if you like the softer side then frost them, leave them overnight and enjoy the next day.