A Goodbye Gift

Tomorrow, I fly off to Utah to visit my dear friend Michelle and her family for 2-1/2 weeks! I like to bake something special before I go...so they have "something to remember me by". I think I should think of something else though. What I made this time isn't going to last very long...I mean, good grief, they've already polished off a container of them, and I haven't even left yet! :) The goodie? It is what the picture depicts: Little Hannah Creme Pies. Following is the documentary, the "makings of", if you will, of these delectable treats.

Carrie was my little helper, so perhaps they should be called Little Carrie Creme Pies. Much cuter name! She's got quite an odd look on her face in this picture though. I think it's the trying so hard not to lick her fingers that caused the puckering of the brow. :)

Step One: Bake 180 oatmeal cookies

Step 2: Pair up all the cookies. Carrie loved this part...she kept finding interesting shapes. Mouse faces minus the ears, acorns without their caps. Who'd a thunk it?

Step 3: Use the back of a spoon to smooth some creamy white icing into the center of each cookie pair

Like so...

And slap on the lid.
DO NOT LICK FINGERS.

Step 4: Gaze upon all the cookies that still need filling, and wonder if you made enough filling. Realize you didn't. Raid the refrigerator to find any leftover icing from past goodie-makings. Find some cream cheese frosting, use it. Find some cupcake frosting, use it. Discover you still have 4 cookie pairs to fill, and in desperation, use peanut butter and nutella. Not too bad, really!

And step 5: Enjoy licking at last.

Votes, please, on what Carrie's favorite part about baking is. :)

The delicious rewards of our labor.

They'll be paying me to go away before long.

(Most of the picture credits, by the way, go to a Miss Abbie vdH...quite the pro with a camera, and why this documentary exists. She took over 50 pictures for me!!)