Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

A good friend of mine has left to go to Korea with her husband, who is scouting land there for churches. Before she left, I wanted to make her a special treat. I came up with these:

Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies sandwiched with pecan buttercream! These are sweet and nutty, with a hearty chew from old fashioned oats, a touch of spice from cinnamon, and buttery pecan filling. I was thinking of oatmeal cream pies when I made them, but these are a hundred times better! Cream pies for the adult palate!

Oatmeal Pecan Sandwich Cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 cups rolled oats

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats.

3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before filling.

Pecan Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tbl cream

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

Whip together butter and sugar 3 minutes. Beat in salt, vanilla, and cream. Fold in pecans. Spread one heaping tablespoon on half of the cookies and sandwich with the other halves.