Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe

Yahoo Food
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Photo: Courtesy of One Girl Cookies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling
Makes 24 whoopie pies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dark molasses
Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, egg, and molasses for 3 minutes at medium speed. Thoroughly scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture for a total mixing time of 30 seconds. Carefully scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (the hole should be about as large as the tip of  your ring finger), pipe out 2-inch diameter circles onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between them. Be careful to keep your pastry bag completely vertical to achieve nice  circles. (If you have to wait between batches of whoopie pies, keep the batter refrigerated.)

Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, and bake 8 to 10 more minutes until the whoopie pies have a deep orange color and spring back when touched. Let the whoopie pies cool completely.

To fill the whoopies, turn half of them over so that they are bottom-side up. Using a pastry bag, pipe a small dollop of Maple Spice Filling onto each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling
Makes 1 pint

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon table salt
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add about 2 ½ cups of the confectioners’ sugar, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. If the consistency is too soft to hold its shape, add more confectioners’ sugar a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Or, you can add a few drops of milk if the filling is too stiff.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the filling for up to 5 days.

More pumpkin-y recipes:
Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte
How to Cook with Pumpkin
Make the Best Pumpkin Pie Ever