Oatmeal Cream Pies

My kids are pretty much obsessed with Oatmeal Cream Pies.  Heck, they're obsessed with sugar, but Oatmeal Cream Pies in particular.  My sweet (most of the time) 12 year old had a violin concert and I was asked to take a treat to for after the concert.  How I managed to get any to survive long enough to get them to the concert is a mystery.  As soon as the kids got home from school they bee-lined it to the kitchen and started DEVOURING the Oatmeal Cream Pies.  My 12 year old later admitted to having 5 of them before I kicked the kids out of the kitchen!

2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats, ground in food processor until about half their original size
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons dark corn syrup OR molasses
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl combine together flour, oats, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Mix well and set aside. In a large bowl beat together butter, shortening, sugar and dark corn syrup OR molasses until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and coconut extract and mix well. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well combine. Roll dough into small balls (1 to 2 tablespoons, depending on how large you like your cookies) and place 9 on a greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes (cookies should still be soft, not quite fully set - don't over bake). Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream frosting, combine butter and shortening in a small mixing bowl and mix until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Stir in marshmallow cream. Spread marshmallow buttercream filling along bottom side of one cookie and sandwich to the bottom side of another cookie.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.

Linked on The Weekend re-Treat, Tatertots & Jello, Strut Your Stuff, Sweet & Savory Saturdays, Party in Polka Dots, Finding the Pretty & Delicious, Dandelion Wishes Wednesday and Pinworthy Projects.