When it comes to oatmeal cookies, I'm particularly particular.
They must be chewy, but not too chewy. They must be spiced, but not too spiced. They must be soft, but not too soft.
And, for the love of all that's wonderful and lovely in this world, they absolutely cannot contain raisins.
(Honestly, is there anything worse than biting into what you think is an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie only to discover said chocolate chips are actually the dreaded raisins? Urk.)
When it comes to Isabelle's Oatmeal Cookie Scale of Awesomeness, these little two-bite oatmeal sandwich cookies score a perfect ten.
They're thick and soft and just a little bit chewy, with loads of brown sugar and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg. To be honest, they almost border on the boring when they're on their own, but they transform into something utterly sublime when you squish them together with a generous dab of fluffy lemon buttercream.
Because lemon buttercream makes everything better. Trust me. Everything.
Well, except maybe for liver and onions, but that's because nothing can possibly make that better (well, okay, maybe some bacon... but that's another post and another day).
As it happens, these cookies are also my first Cookie of the Month Club organized by Jen of Jen's Favourite Cookies.
January's theme, in case you didn't guess, is oatmeal - come see what deliciousness the other ladies whipped up this month:
- Oatmeal Cut Out Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies
- Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie by 365 Days of Baking and More
- Cherry-White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies by Bake or Break
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- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups icing sugar
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth and combined. Stir in the oats, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt, and stir until the dough comes together.
- Using your hands, roll the dough into ½" balls. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart, then flatten slightly with your hand.
- Bake the cookies in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until set and lightly golden around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool off completely.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until you have a fluffy, spreadable frosting. If the frosting is too thick or too runny, add more icing sugar or lemon juice as needed to achieve the right consistency.
- To assemble the cookies, spread a generous dollop of frosting onto the bottom of a cooled cookie, and top off with a second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remainig cookies.
- Transfer to an airtgiht container and let sit for at least an hour to allow the frosting to set up and soften the cookies, then devour.
stefanie says
These are amazing! The texture of the cookie is perfect as you promised. The lemon is really intense and wonderful (I added a little extra zest maybe?) My husband is raving about them every day.
Isabelle Boucher says
Glad to hear they were a hit! PS: A little extra zest is always a good idea. The lemonier, the better! :)
shahira says
do you think they would work out with Gluten Free flour?
Isabelle Boucher says
Hi Shahira,
I haven't tested these with gluten free flour, so I can't say for sure. From what I know of gluten-free baking, adapting regular recipes can be tricky, and honestly, I'd hate for you to take the time and effort (and ingredients!) to take a chance on just swapping a gluten-free flour in this recipe. Gluten-free flour just doesn't behave the way regular wheat flour does when it comes to cakes and cookies.
I'd strongly suggest trying one of the many gluten-free baking blogs that are out there, since they test their recipes with the right ingredients and will have more experience if you need help troubleshooting.
Sarah says
These bad boys are simply divine. To kick up the icing a notch I added 1/2 tsp of lemon extract. I didn't have any lemons to get a zest so I did the next best thing. Plus, you can never go wrong with too much lemon in my book. Also, these cookies are quite monstrous so make sure your dough balls are a little on the small side and flat! I made the mistake of not making them flat enough.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
I adore oatmeal cookies of all kinds, but these sound especially good - especially with that lemon creme! Gorgeous photos, too. :)
Kim Beaulieu says
These are seriously gorgeous. I love oatmeal cookies. And lemon, well you know how much I love lemon. The photos are gorgeous.
Nutmeg Nanny says
OMG thank you!!! I hate hate hate raisins in my oatmeal cookies. My husband tried telling me that an oatmeal cookie is not an oatmeal cookie without raisins. What does he know. I will gladly take your creme cookies over raisin filled cookies any day!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
YUM! Oatmeal cookies with lemon frosting filling? Yep! I'd like these!
Susan says
May I call you the goldilocks of oatmeal cookies because they are just perfect (and also no raisins) but plenty of lemon buttercream!
Heather | girlichef says
I love me some oatmeal cookies, and I'm particular too...though in an entirely different direction (dislike cinnamon and/or chocolate chips in mine - love raisins). These do sound tasty - especially because I find any lemony dessert hard to resist, so win-win. And I'm thinking YES to the bacon.
Kate @ Diethood says
These cookies are absolutely perfect and I just love the flavors! Your photos are daaang gawdgeous!
Angela {Mind Over Batter} says
See, here's the thing - I love raisins in my oatmeal cookies. Can we still be friends? Now lemon buttercream is totally something we can agree with. It truly makes everything better. Mmm...
Jess says
OH yes I'm totally with you - very particular about my oatmeal cookies, and I can't possibly take them with raisins! What sweet little bites these are Isabelle - and so nice for a cozy afternoon in your chilly climate.
Jules says
Mmm question? It is -40 wind chill here in balmy south dakota. These cookies will glaze over my sunless eyes long enough to give the shivers a rest. Ah..ty
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
You had me at "lemon buttercream". These look to die for!
Martha @ A Family Feast says
So my husband loves oatmeal cookies - and I love lemon...with this fantastic recipe - we both get our way! YUM!
Stephanie @ Back for Seconds says
I love anything lemon! These look awesome!
The Food Hunter says
My husband is going to love these
Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom says
I'm in the mood for anything lemon!
Cookin Canuck says
Any dessert with lemon because an instant favorite of mine, so these cookies are looking pretty darn good to me!
Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking and More says
Oh, Miss Isabelle!! I LOVE all things lemon and would never have thought to pair it with an oatmeal cookie! Genius, girl!
So happy to be doing Cookie of the Month with you!
Renee says
Just yesterday I was at the store and saw a box of lemon creme cookies and thought about how great a homemade cookie with lemon creme would be. Then wouldn't you know you posted this. YAY!
Jennifer | Bake or Break says
These look amazing! I don't think I've ever combined oatmeal cookies with lemon.