FOOD + ENTERTAINING
3 ounces softened cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat
butter and sugars with a heavy-duty
stand mixer on medium speed until
creamy, about 2 minutes; add eggs and
vanilla, and beat until just combined.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt
and cinnamon in a small bowl; gradu-
ally add to butter mixture, beating on
low speed just until combined, about
10 seconds. Stir in oats and pecans.
Using a 1 ½-inch cookie scoop, drop
spoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart on
parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
(Or use your hands to shape dough into
2-inch balls.) Bake in preheated oven
until golden but still soft in center, 9–10
minutes. Cool one minute on baking
sheets; remove cookies to wire racks,
and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Cool at room temperature until luke-
warm, about 30 minutes.
Beat softened butter and softened cream
cheese with an electric mixer on medium
speed until creamy; add vanilla extract
and kosher salt; beat until combined.
Gradually add powdered sugar alter-
nately with caramel mixture, beating
on low speed until blended after each
addition. Add remaining tablespoon of
cream, one teaspoon at a time, to reach
desired consistency, if needed.
Pipe or spread about 1½ tablespoons
salted caramel buttercream on the flat
side of half of cooled cookies; top with
remaining cookies, flat side down,
pressing gently.
Recipe from Southern Living
TIPS:
Refrigerate the pies before packing away
Prepare the salted caramel buttercream: to keep the filling firm. You don’t want the
Microwave caramel candies and one
tablespoon heavy cream in a micro-
wave-safe bowl on high until mixture
is smooth and melted, about one min-
ute, stirring at 3-second intervals. Stir
in one additional tablespoon of cream. buttercream oozing out before you make it
to the party or serve it to your family.
Make the cookies smaller so they will serve
more guests and you will have a few for the
next day…maybe. These are always a hit!
HOLIDAY 2018
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