Spicy Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Yield: 12 Whoopie Pies
INGREDIENTS
Whoopies
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
½ cup softened butter
1-8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking pans with parchment paper or Silpats and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and vegetable oil until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree and stir until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, approximately 1 inch apart. Transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for approximately for 15 minutes, until the tops of the cookies start to crack and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking pan.
While cookies are cooling make the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, sift the confectioner’s sugar and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for approximately 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and beat until well combined. Slowly add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Assemble Whoopies: Fill a pastry bag with the cream cheese filling and pipe the filling on the flat side of one of the cookies. Sandwich with another cookie, pressing slightly so the filling spreads to the edge of the cookie. Place the cookies on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 30 minutes before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for approximately 3 days.
NOTE: Don’t attempt to fill the cookies until they are fully cooled, otherwise the filling will melt.
