Oatmeal Cream Pies

Oatmeal Cream Pies - soft, chewy oatmeal cookies with hints of cinnamon, molasses and coconut, with a sweet marshmallow cream filling.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

For the Filling:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• dash salt
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

Instructions

To prepare the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
2. Add the rolled oats to a food processor and pulse 10 times. Don't over process because you need a variety of textures. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high for about 30 seconds. Add the brown and granulated sugars and mix on medium-high until the batter lightens and becomes fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears. Add the molasses, vanilla and coconut extracts and mix on low until incorporated.
4. Add about 1/3 of the oat and flour mixture to the creamed sugar and eggs. Mix on low just until blended. Continue adding the flour mixture until it is fully incorporated.
5. Using a 2-tablespoon size cookie scoop (scant - not heaping), roll the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet at least 2-inches apart. You should be able to bake about 6-8 cookies on each pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms just begin to brown. The middle may look a little unbaked, but not wet. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.
6. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough until all are baked. Match up similar sized cookies to create a sandwich. You should have a total of 32 cookies or 16 sandwiches.
7. In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter and powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
8. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add the marshmallow fluff and blend on medium-low until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Spread the filling on the bottom of half the cookies. Top with another cookie and press gently to spread and seal.

To prepare the filling:

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter and powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.
2. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add the marshmallow fluff and blend on medium-low until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Spread the filling on the bottom of half the cookies. Top with another cookie and press gently to spread and seal.