Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Cookies

(A redo of Honey I Shrunk the Kids Cookie blog entry)
Remember the scene in 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' when the shrunken kids come across an oreo cookie in the backyard? These cookies look exactly like that cookie. Exactly.

I worked really hard with these cookies. Like really hard.
I used an electric hand mixer for all the food-processing steps and oh boy oh boy oh boy..it made up for not going to the gym. Definitely need to get me one of those food processors.

And. That damned cream. That damned cream just would not cream so I stood in my tiny little kitchen with my arm around my mixing bowl and the other hand trying to control the electric hand mixer to stay at an angle to keep my crumbly cream from going everywhere - which it did. I've got splashes of the cookie and cream mixes all over my kitchen walls. Nice.

I made these last night. With all that hard work, I had 'great expectations' for these cookies. I was pleased with the appearance - very 'Honey I shrunk the kids.' I wasn't so sure about how they tasted, though. But today, I think they actually taste a lot better than last night. I might do a rerun of these cookies..probably after I purchase a proper food processor. (Also, if I can find some proper vegetable shortening. I used 'shredded' shortening - have no idea if there's a big difference. I used this shortening cuz I couldn't find any other kind of shortening. Am I not looking hard enough or do New Zealanders not use veggie shortening?)

Anyhoo...
Here's the recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies
For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
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

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.

I'd like to dedicate these cookies to my electric hand mixer who worked really hard with me. Well done mixer. Well done.