Although they have the word “pie” in their name, whoopie pies are far closer to cookies or hand-held cakes. I’ve miniaturized my version, using two-bite, cinnamon-scented oatmeal cookies to sandwich tangy, fluffy cream-cheese filling swirled with cranberry sauce. There are more cranberries in the cookies — chewy dried berries that stand in for the usual raisins.

Mini Oatmeal-cranberry Whoopie Pies

Ingredients for the cookies:

• 3/4 cup/170 grams unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup/210 grams dark brown sugar

• 1/3 cup/66 grams granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups/190 grams all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 3 cups/350 grams rolled oats (not instant)

• 1 1/2 cups/225 grams dried cranberries

Ingredients for the filling:

• 8 ounces/227 grams cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups/230 grams powdered sugar

• 1 cup/228 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

• 1/3 cup/100 grams whole- berry cranberry sauce, preferably homemade but canned is OK (don’t use jellied sauce, as it’s too thin)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with racks in top and bottom thirds, and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Prepare the cookies: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully combined, then beat in vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Beat into egg mixture just until combined, then fold in oats and cranberries.

Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and place on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake (in two batches) until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in sugar, butter and salt, beating until well combined, 2 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cranberry sauce into the filling mixture, leaving streaks. Refrigerate the filling until it firms up enough to spread but doesn’t completely solidify, 10 to 30 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches, turn over half the cooled cookies. Top with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling, and sandwich with remain ing cookies. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving.

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling, makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

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