Oatmeal Cream Pies

Hello Fall! 

Today was a day of baking and making.  I haven't baked and cooked and prepped so much in such a long time and it felt wonderful to be in my kitchen doing just that.  I didn't intend to make so much in one day but I was just on a roll which resulted in pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin spice creamer, frozen cookie dough bites, lots of grilled cheese, buffalo chicken strips and a few other miscellaneous items.  Before our morning play dates arrived at 8:30, I had my first batch of baked pumpkin oatmeal in the oven.  Oh sweet Lord almighty, they were heavenly.  The pumpkin oatmeal was the perfect way to start the season but this post is about something even sweeter with a trip down memory lane.   

As I'm sure they were for you, these were such special treats for us growing up.  I remember so many times when my dad would bring home a box for us or devouring them on road trips.  It's been so long since I've had an original Oatmeal Cream Pie, and this recipe is to blame. 

I love making goodies for my husband to take to work and these are extra special.  They disappear within minutes of his announcement of a homemade version of one of America's favorite treats.  These aren't sickeningly sweet like the store bought versions are which make them even more enjoyable. While the cookies are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle with hints of cinnamon throughout, it's the cream that sends these babies over the top.  

I have been making this recipe for 4 years now and haven't deviated from it once and they are perfect every time.  When I first started making these, there weren't a whole lot of recipes out there but now there are quite a few and after comparing them, this one takes the cake....or the cookie.  And no, they aren't "clean" like a lot of my recent recipes have been but I will be coming up with a clean version to share with you soon!  For now, enjoy these babies adapted from Nosh With Me (via The Craving Chronicles.)

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats

Filling:
2 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1.  Cream butter, sugars, molasses and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix in eggs one at a time.
2.  Add flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Mix until just combined.  Stir in oatmeal.  Make sure you scrape the edges and the bottom of the bowl to make sure the oatmeal is incorporated throughout the whole batter.
3.  Using a small cookie scoop (or tablespoon) drop onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
4.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes (I usually do 10 minutes exactly).
5.  Once you take the cookies out of the oven, let cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. 
6.  While cookies are cooling, make the filling.  Dissolve salt in hot water and let cool.
7.  Whip shortening and marshmallow cream, add salt water, sugar and vanilla and whip until combined.
8.  Once cookies have cooled, spread cream on the bottom of one cookie and place the other on top.
9.  Try not to eat them all.  Unless that's why you made them.  And then contact me about a Beachbody program to help you lose the weight you gained from eating the Oatmeal Cream Pies.

Notes: Yes, hot water for the filling is necessary because the salt is necessary.  If you try to add the salt to the cream by itself, it won't fully incorporate into the cream.  If you have ever had an improperly seasoned sweet, you'll understand the importance of salt in sweets!  They are bland.  I hate when I forget the salt.

When I made this batch, I made a double batch which meant a long baking time because I had so many trays.  I let the batter sit on the counter and as a result, the butter melted due to the heat of the oven (makes our house hot!) and when I put them in the oven, they completely spread out and I ended up losing my last two trays of cookies.  So, keep the butter at a softened state by refrigerating the batter in between baking times.

 

Happy Fall, Y'all!

 

Clean Eating Stuffed Apple "Pies"

Yes, huh.  You read that right.  Clean Eating Stuffed Apple Pies.  Because?  Because.  Because since starting my Beachbodyhttp://www.beachbodycoach.com/MelFiske journey, I have made a big effort to create delicious meals and desserts that you want to eat.  That are realistic.  That don't contain a thousand weird ingredients.  That tastes good.  Made out of ingredients you have in your pantry and don't have to order from Amazon.  Also, because I had granny smith apples sitting so prettily in a bowl on my table and were about to go bad so I had to think of something quick to do with them.  And because I wanted apple pie.

I'm sorry to say I don't have any after pictures.  But I don't think you need them.  All you need to see is before.  Why don't I have them?  Well, let me tell ya.  It was all apart of my plan to include them.  But then I cooked them for just a little longer than I should have and the skins exploded and peeled back leaving the flesh of the apple exposed and soft and full of flavor from the crumble.  It actually turned out to be a good thing as far as eating goes, but not as far as pictures go!  Don't worry, I have adjusted the baking times for the recipe so hopefully you don't have explosive apple skin.  :)

Ingredients:

3 large granny smith apples
3/4 cup quick cook oats
3 T melted coconut oil
3 T raw cane sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 t apple pie spice
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c walnuts

Directions:

1.  Using an apple core or paring knife, core the apples down the center, removing the seeds.  Don't core all the way through, once you have the seeds removed, stop to leave a base so the crumble stays in the apple.
2.  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
3.  Take the mixture and stuff apples and place in a baking dish.  It's okay that the crumble overflows into the dish...trust me.
4.  Add 1 cup of water to the base of your cooking dish.
5.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before serving.  Though it's not clean, I couldn't resist serving these alongside some vanilla ice cream...because I wanted to!  My husband and boys devoured every last bite.  And yes, of course I did too!

So after they baked, the oatmeal in the bottom of the pan completely absorbed the water creating the most delicious baked apple pie oatmeal ever.  We scooped it up and served it with the ice cream...omg.  It was amazing!  This dessert inspired me to create a new baked oatmeal recipe for breakfast.  I can't wait to try it...can you have ice cream for breakfast though?  Because I feel like you might need to serve it with ice cream.  I think, yes.

Granny smith apples are on my shopping list because we will be having this again in the very near future.