Oatmeal WHOOPIE Pies and/or Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is a recipe adapted from one given to me by a family member who indicated it was originally an Amish recipe by route of the Internet from "Tasty Kitchen: A Happy Recipe Community!"  This IS  a VERY happy little cookie as everyone who tried it loved it and asked for the recipe so I would guess it has already become a family favorite.  It was served with marshmallow cream as the filling and was G-R-E-A-T.  There is also the 2nd filling option and it is just very similar to two frosting recipes I make and love.   My favorite option is #3 and would be ICE CREAM!  Love those ice cream sandwiches and this recipe is just perfect.  I can just imagine all of these wonderful treats with vanilla, cinnamon, butter pecan, fudge ripple and I can go on and on and on.....Then to roll the edges where the filling oozes out a bit in cinnamon chips or sprinkles or nuts, need I say any more?

It is a rather cool day today here, just right for turning on the oven and baking up a batch of cookies for the weekend.  

Ingredients for Oatmeal Whoopee Pies:

2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. soft butter
1/4 C. Crisco
2 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking powder
3 T. boiling water
1 t. soda
2 1/2 C. flour
2 C. quick oats


Filling option #1:

Marshmallow Creme


Filling Option #2:

5 T. flour
1 C. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. margarine
1 C. granulated sugar

Filling Option #3:

Your favorite flavor of ice cream softened.


The cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats and set aside.  Prepare cooling racks.

Cream the brown sugar with the butter and Crisco.  Add the eggs and mix.  Add salt cinnamon, and baking powder and mix.  Combine and stir together the boiling water and baking soda, then add it into the mix and blend.  Add the flour and oatmeal and mix well.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared pans by rounded heaping teaspoons.  Use a small *ice cream scoop if available to achieve very symmetrical cookies.  (You need them to match when you put them together with thew filling.)  Bake for 10 minutes, watching as not to over brown.  Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.

Filling #1:

Scoop a small amount of the marshmallow fluff onto the cookies, then press the second cookie on top.  Freeze immediately if not serving right away, or serve right after filling.  (Fluff will ooze.)  Optional, roll edges in sprinkles, nuts, cookie crumbs, or mini chips.

Filling #2:

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and paste like. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.  Stir in the vanilla.

Cream the butter and margarine together with the sugar until very light and fluffy.  The mixture will turn very white.  You do not want any graininess left.  Add the completely cooled milk, flour, and vanilla mixture and beat "the living daylights" out of it.  If it looks separated you have not beaten it enough.   Beat it until it has the consistency and lightness of whipped cream.

Scoop a small amount onto cookies, pressing a second cookie on the top.  Finish filling cookies as above directs.

Filling #3:

Scoop a small amount of ice cream between two cookies and press evenly.  If desired roll in sprinkles, nuts, or chips.  Wrap well and store in the freezer until needed.   Yields 18 servings.

* HELPFUL HINT:  Spray the ice cream scoop with non stick cooking spray and the dough will more easily drop out and onto the baking sheet.

Today I made the option 2 filling and it has turned out great as I suspected it might.  I just want to add you really do have to beat the daylights out of this.  I would say it took 10-15 minutes anyway for the first beating of the sugar and butter and just as long the second time after the milk and flour mixture was added.  I would NOT even try this recipe without an electric mixer and would prefer to use a stand mixer as not to have to stand and hold the beaters all of that time using a hand or portable mixer.