Oatmeal Creme Pies
By Matthew FairmanPublished on August 23, 2022
Time
1½ hours, plus 50 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes 12 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon table salt ¾ teaspoon baking soda 3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) raisins ¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces/149 grams) dark brown sugar ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar ½ cup vegetable oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 teaspoons molasses ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk1 teaspoon vanilla extractFilling
5 ounces (142 grams/1¼ cups) Fluff brand marshmallow crème ¾ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) confectioners' sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon table saltBefore You Begin
Regular old-fashioned rolled oats work best in this recipe. Do not use extra-thick rolled oats, as they will bake up tough in the cookies. For cookies with just the right amount of spread and chew, we strongly recommend that you weigh your ingredients. The cookies will seem underdone when you pull them from the oven. This is OK; they will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This method ensures that the cookies remain chewy once they have cooled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Process oats and raisins in food processor until very finely ground, about 1 minute.
- Whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, melted butter, molasses, and cinnamon in large bowl until smooth. Whisk in egg and yolk and vanilla until smooth. Using wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until evenly combined and no dry flour remains. Stir in oat-raisin mixture until evenly distributed. (Mixture will be stiff; once dough begins to stiffen, you can mix with your hands until dough is evenly combined.)
- Divide dough into twenty-four 1⅓-ounce (38-gram) portions, about 1½ tablespoons each. Roll dough portions between your hands to form smooth balls. Evenly space dough balls on prepared sheets, 12 balls per sheet. Using your hand or bottom of dry measuring cup, flatten balls to 2½-inch-wide disks.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are beginning to crack at edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Using spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Process all ingredients in now-empty processor until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to bowl and stir to incorporate any dry sugar.
- Spread 1 scant tablespoon creme filling on bottoms (flat sides) of each of 12 cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Serve. (Assembled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
for the cookies
for the filling
Time
1½ hours, plus 50 minutes coolingYield
Makes 12 sandwich cookiesIngredients
Cookies
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cookies
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cookies
Filling
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To develop a failproof recipe for a freshly baked version of Little Debbie's most iconic snack in your home kitchen, we began with our favorite recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, tweaking both the ingredient list and method to re-create the thin, tender, molasses-tinged cookies of the classic Oatmeal Creme Pies. Grinding the oats and raisins in the food processor gave our cookies the appropriate uniform texture and look and ensured the nutty flavor and bright sweetness of the original. Mixing just enough molasses into the cookie dough added complexity and color without overpowering the other ingredients. A bit of sweet cinnamon brought in the lovely aromatic depth of warm spice. Upping the amount of baking soda and baking the cookies at a high temperature (400 degrees) caused them to spring up in the oven and then deflate as they cooled, re-creating the distinct dark cracks of the Little Debbie cookies. Finally, making the filling proved as easy as combining marshmallow crème, softened butter, and confectioners’ sugar (with just a touch of vanilla extract and salt) in the food processor.
Before You Begin
Regular old-fashioned rolled oats work best in this recipe. Do not use extra-thick rolled oats, as they will bake up tough in the cookies. For cookies with just the right amount of spread and chew, we strongly recommend that you weigh your ingredients. The cookies will seem underdone when you pull them from the oven. This is OK; they will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This method ensures that the cookies remain chewy once they have cooled.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Process oats and raisins in food processor until very finely ground, about 1 minute.
- Whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, melted butter, molasses, and cinnamon in large bowl until smooth. Whisk in egg and yolk and vanilla until smooth. Using wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until evenly combined and no dry flour remains. Stir in oat-raisin mixture until evenly distributed. (Mixture will be stiff; once dough begins to stiffen, you can mix with your hands until dough is evenly combined.)
- Divide dough into twenty-four 1⅓-ounce (38-gram) portions, about 1½ tablespoons each. Roll dough portions between your hands to form smooth balls. Evenly space dough balls on prepared sheets, 12 balls per sheet. Using your hand or bottom of dry measuring cup, flatten balls to 2½-inch-wide disks.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are beginning to crack at edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Using spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Process all ingredients in now-empty processor until smooth and fluffy, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to bowl and stir to incorporate any dry sugar.
- Spread 1 scant tablespoon creme filling on bottoms (flat sides) of each of 12 cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Serve. (Assembled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
for the cookies
for the filling
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments