Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

I do this thing that I know I KNOW is completely annoying. I know its annoying, because I sometimes annoy myself doing it.

I make voices for things.

I make voices for sometimeseverything.

Stray cat scampering across the street? Squirrel running up a tree? Shopping cart abandoned in the middle of the parking lot? I make voices for them. Theyre generally child-like with a hint of surly irreverence. Ok to be real every voice is my (spot-on) impersonation of EricCartman from South Park.

My kitten. My friends cat. My neighbors dog. . all the same voice, usually making astute observations about how cute and fluffy they are.

I know this is a problem, and I know Im powerless to stop it.

I tell you all this because I gave voice to these cookies. I gave voice to them I ate dang near all of them and then I hid the rest of the cookies near the back of the fridge in hopes of selfishly consuming them later.

To be fair the cookies told me to do it. Thats my story. Sticking to it.

Oatmeal cookies start with good and simple things. Oats! Easy. Brown sugar! Sweeeet. Spices! Gotta have cinnamon.

I would be some sort of dolt if I didnt mention the butter left out of this picture. Butter makes nearly everything better x 6. (Math.)

Pecan studded cookie batter. Ooooh this is just the beginning.

This is a small batch of cookie dough. Were making small cookies because were going to fill them with more butter and sugar (and peanut butter!), then layer another cookie onto the situation. Lets just go easy. A small batch of dough is all we need to make about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

The dough is rolled by the heaping teaspoonful.

These cookies look larger than a teaspoon dont they?

I should have put down a quarter so you could see the scale

I love the quarter scale technique. When I figured out what that scaling technique was all about I thought I was some sort of genius I was 22.

Whatevs.

One of the most difficult part of this recipe is removing the cookies from the oven and not eating a warm cookie directly off the sheet.

We need even numbers! This is a sandwich cookie situation.

Sure you could eat two warm cookies off the baking sheet. Be real. If youve rationalized eating two warm cookies whats to stop you from eating five? Slippery slope. Veeerrryyy slippery.

Hey Peanut Butter youre looking pretty nice with some sun sheen on you. Youre showing off its cool.

Smooth peanut butter is combined with butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Surely a dash of vanilla extract and salt cant hurt.

If, in addition to a cookie sandwich filling, you see it fitting to call this a) dinner, b) a face mask, or c) boyfriend material I get it. I do.

Sandwichthese little darlings! Aaaand get going going gone!

Lets get down to the nitty gritty. These cookies are bonkers good. Of course theyre bonkers good. I mean, come on.

The oatmeal cookies are caramel-y and chewy soft. The peanut butter filling is creamynuttysweet (thats a new word). With their powers combined these cookies are no-brainer pleasure bites (thats a new thing).

I like to individually wrap these cookies and store them in the fridge. Actually.. I like to individually wrap these cookies and hide them in the back of my fridge so no one knows theyre tucked away. The cookies are extra chewy and the peanut butter filling wont smoooosh out the sides if the cookies are served slightly chilled. Pro tip.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

makes about 2 dozen small sandwich cookies

Print this Recipe!

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups uncooked oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the F! illing:< /p>

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons milk

Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture slowly beating on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the pecans last.

The cookies will be small, so portion about 1 heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into your hand. Roll into a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Keep cookies about 1 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. If the cookie dough begins to stick to your hands as youre making dough balls, rinse your hands and portion the dough with just slightly damp hands.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until theyve reached your desired doneness. I like mine a little underdone and cook them for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the filling, place butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, drizzling in vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until youve reached your desired consistency. The filling should be easily spreadable.

When cookies are completely cool, flip over and spread half of the cookie bottoms with peanut butter filling. Top with a similar size cookie. Wrap individually and store in the refrigerator. Cookies are best served slightly chilled. Cookies last, wrapped in the fridge, for about 5 days.