Pat’s Homemade Oreos
Pat McGovern has called Virginia home her entire life. She lives in McLean with her husband Jim, two cats, Luna and Pebble, a lively family of chickens, and a few thousand honeybees that hum softly in the garden.
An IT wizard by trade and a maker at heart, Pat works from home — a place that’s equal parts garden, workshop, and laboratory. Since their daughter, Basil, has headed to college, Pat has had more time to make the house her home. Her hands move between the smooth keyboard and the textured earth: one moment analyzing, the next tending to her herbs or kneading dough.
Her curiosity and initiative have fueled the family’s quiet transition toward holistic living — a life of making, growing, and understanding. “It’s not about perfection,” she says, “it’s about trying, learning, and being part of the process.”
“I have an innate sense of curiosity,” she tells me. “I like to take things apart, physically and metaphorically — to understand where they come from. Food is no different for me.”
She laughs as she recounts how she once reverse-engineered an Oreo — her favorite childhood cookie — just to see what it was made of.
“I wanted to know how it worked! I like the science and the discovery. I don’t do it to save money — I do it because I love the process.”
Her process is grounded in patience. When she talks about her herbs and hydrangeas, her voice softens as if she’s describing old friends.
Out of the many chickens she tends to, she laughs when asked if she has a favorite.
“Captain Fussybutt,” she says without hesitation. “The best rooster ever.”
Her affection isn’t sentimental — it’s observant, grounded. She studies the patterns of her bees, the quiet intelligence of plants, the hierarchy among her chickens. She sees ecosystems everywhere — both digital and organic — and finds joy in their balance.
Pat doesn’t see herself as an idealist but as a student of systems — human, natural, and technological. She studies them, tweaks them, learns how they connect.
“I don’t like the concept of destroying the world through industrialization — especially in food,” she says. “I know I can’t change it all, but I can do my part. It’s my way of not contributing to it.”
When I ask how she began her gardening journey, she smiles knowingly — the way people do when they’ve learned something the hard way.
“Just start,” she says simply. “People get intimidated — they worry about space, dirt, or not knowing enough. But you don’t have to wait until everything is perfect. Just put a sprig in water and see what happens.”
🌱 Recipe Box: Homemade Oreos (Pat’s Reverse-Engineered Classic)
Ingredients (Serves 54 Cookies):
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup dark cocoa powder *(Hershey’s Special Dark or similar)*
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature *(1 stick + 2 tbsp)*
1 large egg
For the Vanilla Filling:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
** First, Make the Cookies**
Preheat oven to **375°F (190°C)**.
In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Beat in butter and egg with an electric mixer on high until the dough comes together.
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about **⅛ inch thick**.
Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or glass rim (about 1½ inches wide).
Transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake for **9 minutes**, until set.
Cool completely on a rack.
** Second, Prepare the Filling**
Beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Gradually add powdered sugar.
Mix in vanilla and salt; beat for another minute until smooth and creamy.
** Third, Assemble the Cookies**
Pipe or spread about a teaspoon of filling onto the bottom of one cookie.
Top with another cookie and press gently to distribute the filling evenly.
Repeat until all cookies are paired.
For a more detailed recipe, visit Cupcake Project