Oatmeal cream goodness

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Growing up I did not like oatmeal. As an adult, I still don’t consider it an appetizing breakfast choice. But add a little brown sugar to it and bake it up in cookie form, and it’s hard to resist.

But what makes oatmeal cookies even better? You guessed it: cream filling.

To make this tempting snack at home, whip up any oatmeal cookie recipe that you like. I prefer dark brown sugar, molasses and a hint of cinnamon in mine. (That recipe can be found below.)

The key ingredient in the filling is marshmallow cream. This will give the filling an extra bounce.

The best part about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are kept in my cabinet year-round. The other exciting thing is that you can make your pies as big or small as you want. I tend to go overboard on the cream filling.

But it’s OK, because this blast-from-the-past snack is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. And if you run out of filling, no big deal; the cookies are great on their own, too. Little Debbie’s got nothing on this made-from-scratch recipe. Just bake, build and enjoy!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

What you need:
For the cookie
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats

For the filling
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
6 ounces marshmallow cream

What to do:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add molasses, vanilla, and eggs, and combine well.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl and add to the creamed mixture; mix in the oats.

Drop dough by tablespoon on ungreased sheets. I used a small cookie scoop. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just starting to brown around the edges.

They will look moist; don’t overcook. Transfer to a cooling rack.

For the filling, beat the butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Gently fold in the marshmallow cream.

When the cookies are cooled, match them with a mate according to size. Take 1 cookie and place a few tablespoons of the filling in the center on the flat bottom of the cookie. I like a heaping scoop. Take the mate and place it on top, flat sides together and press it until the filling comes to the edge of the cookies.