Oatmeal Cream Pies

When I was a kid, I loved Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.

I came across a recipe for Oatmeal Cream Pies, and decided to give it a try.

These cream pies are 100 times better than the ones I fell in love with as a kid. 

Note: For me, the recipe made about 40 cookies and enough filling to make 14 cream pies.The cookies are good on their own, though, so I think it turned out well.

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies:

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

For the marshmallow frosting:

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the baking sheets aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and honey and beat until the ingredients are incorporated.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Carefully stir in the oats until evenly distributed. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the bowl from the fridge and drop 1 tbsp size pieces of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. The cookies will be soft and appear slightly undercooked in the middle when removed from the oven; however, they firm as they cool. Cool on a baking sheet until they set and then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the marshmallow frosting. In a double boiler (or using a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water) combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tarter. Whisk the mixture frequently until it is very frothy and measures approximately 160 degrees. Carefully add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the egg mixture holds stiff peaks and is a light texture (several minutes). Carefully fold the vanilla into the egg whites mixture. Add the frosting to the underside of one cookie and assemble.