I do this thing that I know… I KNOW… is completely annoying. I know it’s annoying, because I sometimes annoy myself doing it.
I make voices for things.
I make voices for… sometimes…everything.
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. They’re generally child-like with a hint of surly irreverence. Ok… to be real… every voice is my (spot-on) impersonation of Eric Cartman from South Park.
My kitten. My friend’s 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 I’m 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. That’s 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 didn’t 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. We’re making small cookies because we’re going to fill them with more butter and sugar (and peanut butter!), then layer another cookie onto the situation. Let’s 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 don’t 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 parts 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 you’ve rationalized eating two warm cookies… what’s to stop you from eating five? Slippery slope. Veeerrryyy slippery.
Hey Peanut Butter… you’re looking pretty nice with some sun sheen on you. You’re showing off… it’s cool.
Smooth peanut butter is combined with butter, powdered sugar, and milk. Surely a dash of vanilla extract and salt can’t 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.
Sandwich these little darlings! Aaaand get going going gone!
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. These cookies are bonkers good. Of course they’re bonkers good…. I mean, come on.
The oatmeal cookies are caramel-y and chewy soft. The peanut butter filling is creamynuttysweet (that’s a new word). With their powers combined… these cookies are no-brainer pleasure bites (that’s 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 they’re tucked away. The cookies are extra chewy and the peanut butter filling won’t 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
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 old-fashioned 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 Filling:
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 you’re making dough balls, rinse your hands and portion the dough with just slightly damp hands.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until they’ve 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 you’ve 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.
Margarita
I just made oatmeal cookies Monday afternoon, but I wasn’t brilliant enough to think of an extra something to make them more than just cookies! Man, oh man, I think I’m in love with the peanut butter filling here and since I have about 20 more cookies left, that’s probably what’s going to happen.
Suze
Oh My Lady Gaga, those look delicious! Another winner, Joy the Baker, you clever cook.
S x
Rachel @ Bakerita
These look delicious!! Mmm…reminds me vaguely (very vaguely) of a homemade nutter butter…which is never bad. But with oatmeal cookies? Way better. Making these soon!!
Kathryn
Do you give them genders too or is that just something I do? Sandwich cookies are the best, not least because it’s a very easy way to justify eating double the amount of cookie. Love the pictures in this post too.
Rebekah
Oooh, wish I had this recipe 4 hours ago, I just finished making cookies.
Evie
Well, we all know what I’m baking this weekend, don’t we! ;-)
The fact that the children are out all weekend at various activities has nothing to do with it. Honestly!
Jessica Ann [peonyfish]
My sisters and I all have the (some might say) annoying habit of singing things to inanimate items and dogs. My magnum opus was when I sang a song to my dog that rhymed “likes walks” with “smells like socks”. We have all also been known to sing songs to food items about how we are going to eat them.
Sophie
Oat, milk and peanut butter. These are definitely breakfast, right?
Caz
If these cookies even made it to my fridge they definitely wouldn’t last long in there. Anything involving peanut butter disappears pretty fast in my world. Thanks Joy!
Angela @ the fairy bread chronicles
YUM oats YUM spices YUM pecans YUM peanut butter!
These look amazing! And very autmun-y, even though it’s spring over there for you! Thank you from the southern hemisphere :) Will be making and inhaling these lil’ beauties shortly!
Leah
I die! Two of my all-time favorites! Together. In a sandwich cookie. Love these – thank you Joy!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I LOVE PB and I love oatmeal cookies and everything tastes better in mini format, even if it is much more of a pain to make, the results are worth it :)
Margherita
I have to make those cookies, I have to make those cookies, I have to make those cookies, I have to make those cookies….this is my mantra today!
Jamie {green beans & grapefruit}
I am seriously trying to refrain myself from pulling out the jar of PB right now. You’ve done it again! Thank you!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
I put stuff in the back of the fridge too in hopes that I don’t eat them but it never pans out the way I want it to. Then I wonder how I gained 10 pounds in the last month.
These oatmeal sandwich cookies look amazing. It’s been on my bucket list for quite some time and I will most definitely make it soon. Thanks for the inspiration, Joy! :)
Oh and I’d love to hear your Eric Cartman voice.