Brown Butter Oatmeal Cream Pies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, for filling
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, for filling
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, for filling
• 1 tbsp heavy cream, for filling
• 1/4 tsp salt, for filling

1. 1

   Start by browning the butter — put the full cup in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. It'll melt, foam, then the milk solids will start turning amber at the bottom. You want the color of a good pecan and a smell like toasted hazelnuts, which takes about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour it immediately into a heatproof bowl — leave it in the pan and it'll go from brown to bitter in about thirty seconds.

2. 2

   Let the brown butter cool until it's barely warm against your wrist — about 90°F if you have a thermometer. This matters because if it's still hot when you add the eggs you'll scramble them, and if it firms up too much the dough won't come together.

3. 3

   Whisk the cooled brown butter with both sugars until you've got a thick paste. Beat in the whole egg, the yolk, and the vanilla until it looks smooth and glossy.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the dry into the wet, then fold in the oats. Don't overmix — once the oats are distributed, stop.

5. 5

   Scoop the dough in generous tablespoons onto parchment-lined sheets and chill the whole tray for at least 30 minutes. Cold dough is the difference between a cookie that holds its shape and one that spreads into a puddle.

6. 6

   Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes — pull them at 10 even if they look underdone. The centers should still look slightly wet and the edges barely golden. They'll keep cooking on the hot pan. Overbake these and you'll have crackers instead of soft pies.

7. 7

   Let them cool completely on the pan before moving them. While they cool, beat the room-temperature butter and shortening together until fluffy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cream, and salt. Whip it for a good two minutes until it's light and spreadable — this filling needs to be softer than frosting so it squishes when you bite.

8. 8

   Match up cookies by size, spread a tablespoon of filling on the flat side of one, and sandwich them. These travel well and actually taste better the next day once the filling softens the cookies.

9. 9

   Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. If your kitchen runs hot, refrigerate them but let them sit out for twenty minutes before eating — cold filling has no flavor.

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