Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

So I was watching an episode of The Walking Dead the other day and again I couldn’t help but wonder, how will I fare in the event of a zombie apocalypse?

I don’t normally watch The Walking Dead. Nothing against it, really – I just need to watch a show from its premiere before I dig into the current season – And since my Netflix queue is full of shows I’m waiting to watch, The Walking Dead has taken a back seat.

Mr. M.O.B., though – He watches this show and thinks its like the best thing on TV.

The show’s premise is something-something The Zombie Apocalypse. A group of people clearly suffering from post-traumatic shock are forced to shoot or samurai sword zombie brains.

Did I get that right?

Oh, you get the gist.

Zombies are eating people, and I am watching Family Guy while The Walking Dead fills up space on my DVR. OK, so yesterday my DVR did this thing where it wouldn’t allow me to change the channel, so I had no choice but to sit there through an hour of The Walking Dead. That hour couldn’t come fast enough. Did you know there are little boys “busting caps” on zombies?

Crazy…

Then it hit me – My one and only defense tactic is the windmill. I can’t fight, I don’t know how to shoot a gun or wield a samurai sword. I am not a badass. I am a flipping scaredy cat. I’m the type that makes my kids check out a noise if Mr. M.O.B. is not home.

Yea, I said it.

So one of two things will happen in the event of a zombie apocalypse:

1. I will be so damn tired of running and living in fear I will just give up and allow the zombies to eat my brains.

2. I will be so damn tired of running and living in fear that I will beg to become one of them.

I’m hoping for #2 because I am at least guaranteed a meal, and who knows – Maybe someone will stop running and shooting long enough to find a cure and I could become human again.

No?

While I figure how to carve some time in my day to get from couch, or my case, floor-to-5k…

Let’s talk about these cookies.

This is my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, tweaked like a mofo from the Betty Crocker Cooky book. It’s a soft oatmeal raisin cookie, baked slowly until golden brown at a nice 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best part about these cookies is boiling the raisins in water until they plump, then using the raisin liquid in the cookie batter. These cookies are great on their own; but since I can’t leave well enough alone, I added a simple filling of cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla bean paste.

Yes, I turned regular old oatmeal raisin cookies into crazy delicious sandwich cookies. Can you really blame me? I mean, if you’re running like a mofo for your life and you want to hold on to hope of surviving the zombie apocalypse, these cookies ought to do it.

I do what I can to keep your sanity intact, folks…

 

: Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

Cookies adapted from: The Betty Crocker Cooky Book

For the cookies

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup water
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned then leveled
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cloves
• Very Large pinch of nutmeg (up to 1/8 tsp.)
• 1 ½ sticks of butter (3/4 cup, or 6oz)
• 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats (Old Fashioned or Quick Cooking are fine)

For the filling:

• 4 oz. of full fat cream cheese (half a block of cream cheese)
• 1 heaping cup of confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste (or 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract)

For the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan combine the raisins and water and cook over low heat for about 20-30 minutes until the raisins are nice and plump. Drain the raisin liquid onto a measuring cup and add enough water to the liquid to make ½ cup. Set the raisins aside, along with the raisin liquid to cool.
3. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix with a fork or a whisk until the spices, salt, baking powder and soda are evenly distributed and set aside.
4. In a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter plus the brown and granulated sugars and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Stop and scrape the mixer as needed.
5. Reduce the speed to low and stir in the raisin liquid and vanilla extract. The mixture may look curdled at this point. It’s OK. Add the flour all at once and mix until just combined. You should see dry flour in some parts. Add the rolled oats and raisins and fold by hand (with a spatula) until evenly distributed.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but as long as an hour. I usually chill the dough for at least an hour because I find that the cookies don’t spread if the dough is fully chilled beforehand.While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling.

To prepare the filling:

1. In a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and raise the mixer speed to high. Mix on high speed until the filling is light and fluffy. If the filling seems a bit loose you can add more confectioners’ sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Don’t add too much because you don’t want the filling to be too sweet. Unless you do… If that is the case I would just advise you to go for it.
2. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

To finish the cookies:

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and using a 1 tsp. cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of dough onto your prepared cookie sheet about 2” apart. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown rotating the cookie sheets halfway through for even baking. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool completely before filling.

To assemble the sandwich cookies:

1. Remove the filling from the refrigerator and uncover. Pair the cookies up by size and with a small offset spatula or a small spoon; spread the filling onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich together with the remaining cookie pressing down slightly so the filling reaches the edges. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

I feel I should say something at this point… Um… Eat a cookie!

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus about an hour chill time

Cooking time: 12-15 minutes

Makes about 33 sandwich cookies.