Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling

Do you know what the best thing is about sandwich cookies is? You get to eat two cookies and pretend it's just one. But these cookies? These cookies are the type of treat that needed to get out of my house.

Why? you might ask. Well, as I was making the frosting, I sandwiched it between two cookies to test it. Did it need more caramel? more sugar? etc.

After one bite- Whoa, these are really good.

After two bites- Ok, I think that's enough.

And then I ate the whole thing. And immediately wanted another one. Dangerous. There is also leftover caramel cream cheese icing in my fridge right now. Also dangerous.

I can't remember exactly when I dreamed up this cookie combo, but it's been on my baking list for a while now. Maybe it's the slightly cooler weather, or the pumpkin picking trip last weekend. Or it could be the jar of ready-made Trader Joe's caramel sauce in the fridge. But it finally felt like time to give these a whirl.

The first thing I had to do was pick an oatmeal cookie recipe. I wanted something soft and chewy, but not too thick since I'd be using them as sandwich cookies. I trolled around the internet for a while looking for the right recipe. Finally I came across a recipe on Jessica's blog that reminded me of one I'd already made. It's a great cookie base so I thought, why not leave out the chocolate chips and replace them with oats? Yes? Yes.

So that's what I did. Since these cookies usually bake up to be on the thicker side, I just flattened the dough before baking it and ended up with what I thought was a nice size. 

The filling might squeeze out a little when you bite into them but so what? We're all friends here. And what's a little finger licking between friends? Ok, that sounded gross. Pretend I never said that. But you know what I mean! Most importantly, just enjoy these.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Caramel Cream Cheese Filling

Yield: 17 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

For the filling:
4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional, like for when you forget the cinnamon in the cookies like I did)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. 

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or, by hand, in a large bowl with a whisk), beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and egg yolk with the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. With the mixer off, add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low until almost incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until not quite incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add oats. Fold in by hand with a rubber spatula.

5. Roll dough into balls the size of ping pong balls. Place on baking sheets and flatten with your fingers. Bake at 325 for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are just set. They will remain a pale golden color. Allow to cool completely. 

6. Make the icing. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Allow to beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar half a cup at a time, mixing on medium until each addition is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, caramel sauce, and cinnamon, if using. Transfer the icing to a fridge to chill.

7. Once cookies are completely chilled, match them up by size. Pipe or spoon the caramel icing onto one cookie and sandwich it with its match, pressing down lightly until you can see the filling from the side. Repeat until all cookies are filled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:

• I just happened to have store-bought caramel sauce in my fridge, but you can definitely make your own! There's a good recipe in this post.
• The cookies only need about 5-7 minutes at room temperature before you serve them.

Cookie recipe adapted from the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies