Oatmeal Cream Pies

I have a couple of girlfriends with whom I started a tradition a few years back where we get together for for a rotating weeknight meal, dubbed “Apartment Picnics”.  The picnic theme came to be when at the inaugural get together,  whines were heard from the host about her tiny studio apartment with no group seating to speak of — never ones to let anyone off the hook, we brought a blanket, fried chicken, watermelon and potato salad and sat our asses on her floor.  Themed apartment picnics were born and we take them damn seriously–the theming is half the fun.  We are down a (wo)man in the Apartment Picnic series, but only until she returns from her peace-loving travels and reclaims her spot in the rotation.  The latest picnic in this franchise took place in August and was titled You Down with A.P.P.? Where by A.P.P. stood for Acronym Palooza Picnic (don’t ask where the themes come from, it’s a very convoluted process).  Usually the theme-r would do the hosting, but since the guest was toting a most adorable 7 month old, I had promised to bring the picnic to her, themes and all. So basically I made up a three-course dinner, complete with spiked beverages, all named after a well-known acronym.  Dessert was OCD. Oatmeal Cream Delights. And let me tell you, they were damned delightful.

Oatmeal Cream Delights

Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, Oatmeal Cream Pies

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES
~ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~ 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
~ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
~ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
~ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
~ 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
~ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
~ 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
~ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 2 large eggs, room temperature
~ 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
~ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

FILLING
~ 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
~ 6 tablespoons (up to 1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer, beat butter, brown and granulated sugars, and molasses on high, scraping down bowl, until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Add vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture and beat just until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in oats and walnuts. Drop dough in 2-tablespoonful mounds, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets*. Bake until cookies are just set at edges and slightly soft in middle, about 11 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets, 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, using mixer, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until light, 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Spread filling on flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Makes approximatley 13 cookies.

* Smaller mounds of dough cab be used to produce smaller cookies. Once assembled, each cream pie is fairly large and quite a treat — so smaller ones might be a better option.