The weekend is almost here! This week I got the happiest package in the mail from my daughter Emily, who, I have mentioned, is spending the semester in Belgium. She has been a little homesick lately, so head over to her blog, look at all the fun she is having and the beautiful pictures she is taking and give her some words of encouragement! She will be home before she knows it and it will have been such an amazing experience! We sure do miss her though! She sent us a fun package full of all sorts of yummy Belgium treats... (and a sweet little note, too!)
And then, there are little notes like this that make you love your job
and appreciate all the wonderful people you get to meet along the way...
And, finally, back to those cookies we teased you with at the beginning of the post...
My other daughter, Christine, likes to spoil the Willows and our customers with her delicious baked goods. She just brought us some amazing Oatmeal Whoopie Pies and people have been drooling over them and asking for the recipe. Thought we would pass it along and give you something yummy to bake over the weekend! Let us know if you try them!
For the cookies (makes about 3 dozen):
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/4 cups butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
For the filling:
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 sticks of salted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION:
Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan, the right size to hold your mixing bowl on top. Bring back down to a simmer. Combine egg whites and sugar in stainless mixing bowl. Whisking continuously, and at a good pace, place bowl on top of simmering pan of water. Bowl should not be touching water. Continue whisking until egg whites reach 170 in temp or appear very white and are hot to the touch. Remove bowl and place on mixer. With whisk attachment, slowly bring up to high speed and let go for several minutes until the mixture appears stiff and shiny. Let cool in bowl. Slowly add bits of butter with mixer on medium, about one tablespoon at a time. Finally add vanilla extract. Should look like pretty whip cream with a thick consistency. It if is too liquidy, you may place it in the fridge or freezer to cool off a few minutes and then back on the mixer to re-whip! Use to ice a cake, fill your whoopie pie cookies, or your macarons. Enjoy!
We hope you have a happy weekend!
