Recipe: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ever since my fall sweets Pinteresting Wednesday post from last week, I wasn't able to get the picture of those pumpkin whoopie pies out of my head.  I had to make them.  And oh my goodness, they were amazing.  I took them to a fall party this weekend and they were talked about all night.  They were super moist, flavorful, and the cream cheese frosting compliments the autumny taste of the pumpkin cookie perfectly.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease. 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 completely combined.

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

For the Cream Cheese Filling: Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter until it's 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 structure. (The filling can be made one day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)

Assembling the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).  Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to 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 whooopie 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.

This recipe made 15 assembled whoopie pies.  I had plenty of extra frosting.  Believe me, you will not want to waste it, so make sure you buy some graham crackers or something to eat the rest with. Trust me on this one guys.

Linking up for the Falling for Crafts Challenge at One Artsy Mama.

Also linked up at Skip to my Lou, Craft-O-Maniac, Delicate Construction, Dittle Dattle, Keeping it Simple, The Girl Creative, Sumo's Sweet Stuff