Home-y Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

I'm sure you were all worried, so for the record, I survived midterms! It was a little iffy for a while if I would make it out alive, but I did. And thank goodness it's all over. 

Now I can finally enjoy this wonderful, heavenly week known as Spring Break in which I plan to sleep, take long, luxurious walks, read books for fun, and catch up on the huge list of delicious things that have been on my "to-bake" list forever. 

Whenever I come home after being away for what feels like a long time, I tend to get swept up in the nostalgia of smells. Every scent in every corner of my house reminds me of a different childhood memory- cuddling with my cats while watching cartoons, playing with dolls in the musty old attic, the inviting freshly-laundered smell of my bed...
I figured in celebration of nostalgia, I would start by baking something warm, comforting and classically home-y. Hello, oatmeal raisin cream pies. 

Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies 

Makes one dozen sandwiches

Cookies (adapted from here):

1 tbsp flax meal
1/4 cup earth balance or other vegan margarine
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp all-spice
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World):

2 tbsp earth balance
2 tbsp vegan cream cheese
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350º and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix the flax meal with 3 tbsp warm water and let sit in the fridge for at least 3 minutes. 
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, canola oil and sugars until fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and "flax egg." 
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Add the dry into the wet and stir until smooth. 
4. Fold in the oats and drained raisins. Use a spoon to drop dollops of the batter onto the cookies sheets, leaving room for spreading. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

5. While the cookies are baking, make the frosting by creaming together the earth balance and cream cheese. Mix in the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments using an electric hand-mixer, or use those wrist muscles, like me. Finally, stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Keep refrigerated until use.

6. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting. Once they are ready, spread about 1 tbsp of frosting on a cookie and sandwich another one on top. Devour, lick your fingers, and go in for seconds ;)