Oatmeal Whoopie Cream Pies

I know where the Whoopie comes from, it's the latter part that confuses me. Why are these glorified sandwich cookies called "pies?" (And does it matter?)

I pondered the question for five seconds but, after taking a bite, I really didn't care about the semantics. They could be called something unbearably intriguing, such as Lyrical Loki pies of cream, and I would not question their meaning...I would loved them even more, actually.

Instead of pies or cookies, is it alright if I just call them Mine? At least for now, until you make a batch? Because believe me, you really must make these Mines, Yours. Muchly.

Forget sharing. Better yet, lock the door, shut off the phones, close all the blinds, and enjoy being selfish, just this once. It's perfectly okay to enjoy oatmeal cookies in Spring (really, I looked it up).

Even without the bells and whistles of a rich cream filling and decadent chocolate drizzle, the oatmeal cookies are spectacular. They're nubby, chunky, hearty, sweet, spicy, and soft. Isn't that just about all we can ask of an oatmeal cookie?

But if you insist on taking them over the edge, and please do, the orange cream cheese filling and dark chocolate drizzle are the icing on the icing on the already frosted cake pie cookie, Lokis!

Don't forget, these are all for you, and all your other selves. Enjoy.

Oatmeal Whoopie Cream Pies (adapted from Bon Appétit)

for the cookies
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup (or 4 oz) chopped dark chocolate
3/4 cup ( that's 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large room temperature egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the filling
1/2 cup (that's one stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons orange juice (or cream)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the chocolate drizzle
2 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) chopped, bittersweet chocolate
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup heavy cream

method
Prepare the cookies: Arrange the oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; Set aside.
In separate large bowl, combine the oats, raisins, and chopped chocolate; Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or any large mixing bowl if you're using a hand-held) beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla; Beat to combine.
On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Beat until just blended. Use a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir in the oat mixture until all the chunky ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Use a 1 oz ice cream scoop (or about 2 level Tablespoons) to measure out 36 portions of dough. Roll each portion in a ball, and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 1-inch of space between each. Gently press down on each ball of dough until about 1/2" thick.
Bake cookies for 8-11 minutes, rotating the sheets front to back and top to bottom half-way through the baking time. The cookies should be golden brown and the edges will have just begun to set. (Don't worry if the centers don't look cooked, they will firm up as the cookies cool.) Remove the sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest for about 8-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completley before adding the filling.
Prepare the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, beat for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. If the filling is too thick to spread, add just a splash of juice and beat till combined. Keep adding a little bit more at a time until the mixture softens enough to spread.
Spread the filling onto half of the cookies and then top with the remaining halves.
Prepare the drizzle: Place the chopped chocolate and honey into a large, shallow bowl. Bring the cream to just a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and honey and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Using a small whisk, and starting in the center, make small concentric circles and mix until everything is combined and the chocolate is smooth. Use the same whisk to drizzle the chocolate over the filled cookies. Allow the chocolate to set for about 10 minutes.

Makes 18 sandwich cookies