August 12: Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened, or 3/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats (not instant)

Filling:
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (7.5 oz) jar marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Make the cookies: Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, then stir in the oats. Chill the dough for 1 hour, or until firm enough for you to shape into balls.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
4. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press down the tops slightly. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the filling: Beat the butter until smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Beat until smooth, then beat in the marshmallow creme and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Spread the underside of one cookie with a generous tablespoonful of the filling, then top base to base with another cookie. Repeat until all cookies are sandwiched.

Dry ingredients

Addition of the egg

Addition of the vanilla

Addition of the flour mixture

Addition of the oats

Addition of the confectioners' sugar

Fluff!

Addition of the vanilla

Thoughts: I used shortening instead of butter just because I use butter all the time! I also didn't use freshly grated nutmeg...just the jarred stuff. Its important to put them in the fridge to firm up because the dough will be sticky even after being in the fridge. I put them in for about 10 minutes. I actually really liked the cookie and Patrick thought the filling was too sweet. There was a lot of filling leftover.

January 27: Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

Cookies
1 3/4 cups (7.9 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.7 oz) shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Filling
1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (7.5 oz) jar marshmallow creme (Fluff)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400 and place one rack in the center and another in the lower third. Have ready 2 unlined, ungreased baking sheets. This is critical so the cookies don't spread so much.
2. Make the cookies: Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder together in a medium size bowl; set aside.
3. Combine the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the brown sugar, increase mixer speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Using a heavy-duty scraper or large mixing spoon, add the buttermilk and flour mixture alternately, stirring until mixed. You should have a thick batter rather than a dough.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter, spacing about 2 1/2 inches apart, onto the ungreased baking sheets, twelve equal size mounds per sheet. Bake on the center and lower racks for 11 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking process. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the filling: Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the confectioners sugar until incorporated. Beat until smooth. Beat in the marshmallow creme and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Drop generously rounded tablespoonfuls of filling onto twelve of the cookies. Cap with the remaining cookies.

Dry ingredients

Introduction of egg into the butter/shortening/sugar mix

Cookie Batter

Lots of leftovers!

Thoughts: These were annoying for several reasons. I decided to be true to the recipe and use ungreased baking sheets on the first batches instead of the usual parchment paper.  That was dumb because the cookies stuck to the pan and I had to scrap off the remnants.  So I used parchment paper for the rest of the dough and guess what...it came out fine.  The outer cookies came out really large and a little awkward to eat.  I used a rounded tablespoon and I should've flattened each one before baking (I forgot the last time too!).  I had way too much filling leftover and it was evident in the cookies because the taste was mostly cookie; however, when I was inserting the filling I thought I was using way too much.  The recipe said it would make 24 cookies...I made 21.  You can never trust those estimates.  The whoopie pie as a whole was ok; I was not crazy about the filling of the whoopie pie.  I have a hard time making things with confectioner's sugar that doesn't taste artificial and bleh.  Patrick thought it was pretty gross.