The Oreo recently celebrated its 100th birthday (not looking too shabby for being that old!). As such, the kitchens of Full Moon Cuisine decided that it would be a great idea to make them from scratch, to help celebrate what made this cookie so popular and long-living. Just know that these will not taste like the biscuits you buy at the store... they're far better! So with a little time and the right ingredients, you'll have some excellent sandwich cookies. Here's what you'll need:

For the cookie:
- 1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2 sticks of butter (at room temperature)
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla

For the filling:
- 1 stick of butter (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup of shortening (at room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tsp cream (depending on consistency)

Note: This recipe will make approximately 30 sandwich cookies

To begin, mix your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and salt) together in a bowl and set to the side. Next, in a larger bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. After this, add in the eggs (one at a time), and mix to combine after each. Then, add the vanilla, and finally add in the dry ingredients (in thirds), mixing to combine into a thick, sticky dough.

Divide your dough into two pieces. Take two pieces of parchment paper (about 2' x 2' each) and gently rub flour against them. Put one half of your dough on a sheet, placing the other atop it. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1/4" thick throughout. Place the rectangle on a cookie/baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator for an hour. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

After an hour, take out your rectangles of dough and uncover them. Now to cut out our cookies. You can use any cookie cutter you want (I used a 2" jar lid), but you can use whatever you want (like animal shaped ones!). Just try to keep the cookies even in size for when you combine them later. Place the cookies on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and return the sheet to the fridge for another 30 minutes to an hour. You're going to want the cookies to be cold when they go into the oven, so they won't spread when they bake.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F as the time winds down. Now bake your cookies for approximately 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven). Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

While you're waiting, let's make the filling. Use a mixer to combine the butter and shortening together, then add in the cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, and then as much cream as it takes to have the mixture come together like a paste (you'll want it to be a bit firm). Once cooled, flip over half of the cookies. Using a freezer bag with the corner snipped (or a piping bag if you have them), and squeeze out approximately 1 tbsp (or more!) onto the cookies you flipped over. Gently press the 'lid' down and twist to spread the cream filling out to the edges. Combine with a glass of milk, twist, and enjoy!

The Oreo is one of the most famous cookies that has ever been made. An international star, going by a myriad of names, and used in so many applications. And once you make them at home, you'll never want to shell out money for those factory-made ones at the store again. To help celebrate the ongoing hundredth anniversary of the Oreo, the kitchen will be staying open late. Care to place an order?

Want to know what this challenge is all about? Check out my journal and feel free to send in recipes for cookies! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3096204/