Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Even though we are nowhere near the pumpkin-fest that is fall, I decided to make pumpkin whoopie pies with maple-cream cheese filling after a search through our pantry lead me to put two-and-two together. I was itching to bake something; we had all the ingredients. An hour later: perfection in a cookie. I plan to make these again… and long before October rolls around!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

• 3 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 cups pureed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine top 8 dry ingredients with a whisk. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together sugars and oil, then add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin puree, then vanilla, and mix until smooth.

Gradually add spoonfuls of the dry mixture until incorporated. Drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets (use parchment paper or a silpat) in heaping spoonfuls, then press the middle down to make them nice and flat disks (otherwise they will puff up and be too dome-like for filling and stacking).

Bake 10 – 12 minutes, then allow to cool completely before transferring to wire rack.

Once the cookies are cool, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup and vanilla and continue mixing. Carefully add the powdered sugar and whip together until incorporated.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of one cookie, match it up with a cookie about the same size, and gently squeeze together. Continue until all cookies are matched up, and eat the extras by dipping them into the leftover frosting, of course. And voila! Pumpkin Whoopie Pie magic! Enjoy!

P.s.- Recipe adapted slightly from this one.