Refined Sugar-Free Do-si-dos

I love my Do-si-do recipe, but I'm having issues with refined sugar.  I've had these issues for a long time, and I'm still battling them.  I get horribly sick when I eat refined sugar.  I almost instantly get a headache, then my throat becomes raw and swells.  It's never dramatically swelled, but just enough to let me know something is wrong.  So, with all of these symptoms you would think I would never eat refined sugar again, I wish I was that way.  It is my demon, it's so easy to eat something with white sugar in it, there is always something available, and I've always cooked with it, so it seems easier to cook that way.  So in my constant battle against against this demon that is wrecking my health and made myself my favorite girl scout cookies, minus the refined sugars and they are still as fantastic as ever. 

  I actually make mine so they are soft cookies, because I'm a soft cookie person, but they can easily be the classic crunchy cookie by cooking them a bit longer.

Refined Sugar-Free Do-si-dos
1 cup palm oil shortening
1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 cups coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF flour blend
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking gluten free oats
1-2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk, if needed

filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. With a stand mixer, combine shortening, peanut butter, and coconut sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture.  Stir in the oats.  If the mixture is too crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of dairy-free milk, as needed.

Roll into small balls and flatten with the bottom of a clean glass. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes (longer if you want crispy cookies).  Let cool on tray for 5 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

While cookies cool, make the filling by mixing together the peanut butter, honey and vanilla with a handmixer until smooth and fluffy.  Spread on the bottom of one half and sandwich together with another cookie.

Makes about 4 dozen sandwich cookies.

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