Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I don't think I've ever had a whoopie pie. I don't know if I'm in the wrong generation (was it the one before me?) or if I'm on the wrong coast (is it an East coast thing?) Maybe I just have, for whatever reason, never had a whoopie pie. But that didn't stop me from making them this week as the "treat" for my clients.

This recipe comes from the new-ish cookbook Baked which I have read about on several blogs. I am currently in baking cookbook acquisition mode because I feel like all the new vegetarian ones I have seen recently feature recipes that I can find elsewhere. Elsewhere in my many many cookbooks that is. You would think that would curtail my purchasing, but no, I just buy baking books instead. Although this is my first recipe from this book, I think there will be many more to follow. One of my clients called me to tell me how much they loved these. And Randy, well, Randy went crazy for them. Think 2 pumpkin spice cakes with the tangiest cream cheese frosting between them. You get the picture.

The recipe says you will get 12 sandwich cookies but I, using a medium size ice cream scoop for the cookie part, got 20 and had a lot of filling left over. I guess I should been more generous in my frosting slathering.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Baked - New Frontiers in Baking
Makes 12 Whoopie Pies

For the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp. ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the cream cheese filling:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Make the Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet while you make the filling.

Make the cream cheese filling:

Sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling, or it will lose it's structure. (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)

Assemble the whoopie pies:

Turn half the cooled whoopie pies upside down (flat side facing up.)

Using a knife or an offset spatula, drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads 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 up before serving.

The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.