pumpkin whoopie pies

 

i first wanted to share this lovely picture of my dog at the spooky pooch parade in lakewood last saturday.  zooey really doesn't like clothes so for a compromise my mom and i bought her an extra large shirt that felt more like a blanket, because she loves blankets, and it worked!  she was ok with the shirt.  there were so many cute dogs (lots of greyhounds!) at the parade and i was surprised by how creative people were.  zooey and i also made a special stop in front of melt to wave to michael, cleveland's hottest bartender, who looked a little embarrassed ;)

anyways, i saw pumpkin whoopie pies on brown eyed baker a while back and knew i had to try them.  they looked so delicious and around this time of year i am always craving pumpkin.  i have never made whoopie pies before, but after making these i will definitely have to try more of them.  they were so good!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling
copied from brown eyed baker 
Yield: About 2 dozen assembled whoopie pies (will vary depending on how large you make them)

For the Whoopie Pies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
5. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.
7. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
8. To assemble the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.