Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies

Do you know what TBHQ is? It is found in A LOT of packaged foods and fast food items (chicken nuggets are sprayed with it). TBHQ is derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on products or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness." According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in food. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse." Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill.

INGREDIENTS in Little Debbie Brand: Corn Syrup, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1]Riboflavin [Vitamin B2]Folic Acid)Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil with TBHQ to Preserve Flavor, Dextrose, Water, Oats, Sugar, Molasses, Raisins, contains 2% or less of each of the Following: Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Ammonium Bicarbonate)Whey [Milk]Emulsifiers (Soy Lecithin, Mono and Diglycerides, Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60)Salt, Cornstarch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Eggs, Interesterfied Palm and Palm Kernel Oils, Soybean Oil, Sorbic Acid (To Retain Freshness)Cocoa, Colors (Caramel Color, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Beta Carotene, Turmeric, Annatto Extract, Yellow 5)Egg Whites, Citric Acid, Pectin, Sodium Citrate, Coconut (Sulfite Treated to Preserve Color)Evaporated Apples (Sulfite Treated to Preserve Color)Nonfat Dry Milk, Carrageenan, Spices, Rice Flour.



COOKIES:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 cup coconut oil or butter
1 1/2 cup Swerve (or erythritol)
2 tsp stevia glycerite (omit if using Swerve)
1 egg
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups crushed macadamia nuts (to resemble oats)OR vanilla whey crisps

Creme Filling
2 cups cream cheese or coconut cream, softened
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup confectioners Swerve (or Erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, erythritol and stevia (add in egg if using). Cream for a few minutes until very fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Roll 2 TBS of dough into a ball in your hands (for uniform shape) onto a cookie sheet, then press down to they are about ¾ of an inch thick. Place cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.

While the cookies bake, prepare the filling. Combine the ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. This mixture will thicken up after it sets. I make this ahead of time and let it sit in my fridge overnight.

Assemble each creme pie by spreading the filling over one side of a cookie (the flat side) and press another cookie on top, making a sandwich. Repeat for the remaining cookies and filling. Makes 20 servings (20 cookie sandwiches).

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Little Debbie: 310 calories, 12g fat, 2g protein, 49 carbs, 1g fiber
Healthified Creme Pie: 301 calories, 28g fat, 7.2g protein, 4.6 carbs, 1.9 fiber (using whey crisps)

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