Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ginger
1/2 tbsp. cloves

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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

In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar and oil until combined. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mixed 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.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanill

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 confectioner's sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to over beat 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. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

This recipe make 20 whoopie pies.