Oatmeal Creme Pies

These oatmeal creme pies were Kenzie's idea, and they were a great one.  I made them the day that Tuck and Linda came to visit as a dessert for the non-diabetics.  I was having trouble coming up with something, as I often do, so Kenz narrowed it down for me and begged for oatmeal creme pies.  I was intrigued by the thought of them so I gave them a shot.  And good thing I did, because people went wild for them.

The cookies are soft, buttery oatmeal cookies that frankly were pretty great on their own: spiced with cinnamon, cloves and molasses, they hardly need to be turned into pies.  And yet, they do.  The creme filling is nothing like I've ever made before.  I expected marshmallow or something, but it's butter-based, with powdered sugar (much like frosting, but then it's rich-ed up by heavy cream).

And then of course, you sandwich two cookies together with plenty of the filling. These oatmeal creme pies are pretty amazing.  They're over-the-top rich and filling - I could only eat half, but then again everyone else was devouring them.  Sam dubbed them among the best dessert I ever made.  There were no leftovers.  I'd say that's a successful dessert!

Even Walter wanted a bite!

For those of you interested in perhaps trying these out for a non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert, the good news is that you can bake the cookies early.  I baked them the night before, and then made the filling and sandwiched them that morning.  They were perfect, so it is possible to get these started early!

Recipe:

oatmeal creme pies
from Sally's Baking Addiction
yields 14 - 15 sandwiches

Ingredients:
for cookies:
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups uncooked quick cooking oats (not whole-rolled oats)
for creme filling:
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt, as needed

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Set aside.

2) With a stand or handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugars together at medium speed until light and creamy.  Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, scraping down the sides as needed.  Set aside.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Whisk it all around.  Add the quick oats and combine.

4) With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  The dough will be quite thick and you may have to mix it all by hand after a few seconds in the mixer.  Drop dough with a large cookie scoop or make sure that each ball of dough is 2 tablespoons in measurement.  Cookies will spread in the oven, so drop each ball of dough 2 inches apart.

5) Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden around the edges.  Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

6) Make filling: with a stand or handheld mixer, beat butter for about 1 minute until creamy.  Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 1 - 2 minutes.  Pour in heavy cream and vanilla extract.  Mix on high for 3 - 4 minutes until fluffy.  Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, as needed.  If filling is way too thick, add a couple more teaspoons of heavy cream.  Spread 1.5 tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies, right side up.

7) Cookies stay fresh and soft with creme filling at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container.  After that, store in the refrigerator to keep the creme center fresh.  These are best eaten within 2 days.