Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin, spices, cream cheese, butter...mmmm, how can you go wrong?

I first saw this incredibly yummy cake-like cookie on Bake at 350.  If you haven't checked out this website, be sure to head over there to see amazing photographs and great recipes!  (There is a link to Bake at 350 on my sidebar.)  Her recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies was based on one from the Martha Stewart show, and that is the one I used to make mine!

I made these for a teacher luncheon, and they turned out great.  The cookies are very moist and full of flavor. I actually would use this recipe to just make the pumpkin cookies as a drop cookie without the filling.  The filling is sooo rich and creamy.  Add the cookie and the filling together and you get WHOOPIE...pure delight!

A few notes:

• Martha's recipe says it makes 12 cookies...my batch made about double that!
• I used a SMALL cookie scoop, rather than an ice cream scoop to drop these on the sheet.  
• Make sure that you make note of the TABLESPOON measure for the spices (not the typical teaspoons.)
• I definitely refrigerated these until delivering them to the school.  

• FOR THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES
• 3 cups 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
• FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days

Check out more DELICIOUS recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday with Blessed with Grace.