Oatmeal Cream Pies

You know those little oatmeal cream pies you get at the grocery store? Made by Little Debbie or some other snack cake peddling hussy? Flat like they've been sat on and getting smaller and smaller every year? THESE-ARE-NOT-THOSE-PIES!!! These are the best oatmeal cream pies you've ever put to your lips. Your kids will thank you for replacing those fake @$$ cream pies with lease luscious gifts from heaven in their lunch box! I initially saw the recipe in The Amish Cook's Baking Book, but I didn't like their filling recipe. I remembered the most popular filling I've seen for whoopie pies has been a marshmallow fluff/Crisco mash-up. Not having any marshmallow fluff on hand, I made my own! Mixed in a little vegetable shortening (which you can't even taste! no greasy film on the roof of your mouth!) and TADA!The filling sets up to be very marshmallowy. Waaayyy better than storebought marshmallow cream. The cookies are somewhat soft at first, and thanks to the brown sugar in them, they get even softer as they sit out. I can say with no doubt in my mind, I'll still be making these when I'm 72!!Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Filling (adapted from “The All-American Dessert Book”)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/2 packets)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup water (divided)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well. In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well. Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.
For the filling, in a small measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until well blended. Continuing to stir, raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Continue boiling for 30 seconds. Immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the gelatin mixture until it dissolves completely.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the vanilla. With a mixer on medium speed, beat for 20 seconds. Gradually raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is stiffened, white, very fluffy, and cooled to barely warm, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the shortening and beat until completely smooth. The filling will set up as it sits, so wait until it is thick enough to spread or pipe before filling the cookies.