Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies

Make the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment paper).
2. Cream the butter, sugar, molasses, and eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Add the salt, flour, and baking powder to the creamed mixture. Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well.
4. 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.
5. Drop by the tablespoon (important to measure for uniformity so the cookies pair well to make the pies) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake just until the cookies first turn golden in the center, about 8-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the first batch – this change happens quickly and the cookies need to be pulled out at the exact moment the center darkens. The center will continue cooking until set for a minute or so after pulling from the oven.
6. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack. If you don’t wait, the cookies will scrunch up and lose their shape.
7. Beware of too little flour in the batter – this will cause the middle of the cookies to be too thin and the bubbles will create holes that will allow the filling to seep through.

Make the filling:

1. In a small measuring cup, slowly sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water while stirring. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.
2. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until everything dissolves and the mixture is 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.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla.
4. With the 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.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar.
6. Add the shortening and beat until completely smooth.
7. The filling will set up as it sits, so wait until it is thick enough to spread or pipe before filling the cookies.
8. Pair up the cookies with another of comparable size and shape.
9. Even if you don’t have piping bags, it’s easiest to pipe the filling so fill a Ziploc bag and snip off a corner to use as a piping bag. Put the filling into the bag and pipe onto the bottom of one of the cookie pairs in a circle spiraling outward, leaving room around the edges to smoosh the cookie pairs together. Add another cookie and sandwich the filling in. Enjoy!