• Preheat to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl.
  2 cups 1-minute oats, 2½ cups bread flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the dark brown sugar and vegetable shortening until smooth.
  1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening, 1½ cups dark brown sugar
• Add the pumpkin puree, molasses, and vanilla and mix at high speed until light and fluffy.
  1 cup 100% pumpkin puree, ¼ cup molasses, 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
• Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated.
• Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Then gently pressed down with your fingers or the bottom of a glass until about ½ inch thick.
• Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, the cookies will still look fairly soft in the middle, this is normal.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

• While the cookies cool, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  4 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup salted butter
• Add half the powdered sugar and mix until combined, then add the remaining sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and beat at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pipe about 1½ tablespoons of frosting onto the bottom of half of the cookies, then top each one with one of the unfrosted cookies.