Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Who is excited about pumpkin season?

I am! I got in the mood for some pumpkin cookies about a month ago. I searched all over for pumpkin and nobody had it yet. Last week, there was no messing around. I decided I wanted to make pumpkin whoopie pies for a BBQ and I was determined to find the pumpkin. I almost talked the hubbie into heading into Houston, because I knew Central Market would have pumpkin. I love Central Market, they have such different products than any of the grocery stores near me and they always have fresh, beautiful flowers just waiting to be taken home!

I did find some near me and I bought twice as much as I needed, just in case you know?

I brought these pies to a BBQ/party and they were nearly gone in seconds. I guess everyone else was excited about pumpkin season too! I was told they tasted like pumpkin roll, which I have never had. What I can tell you is that the cake/cookies were moist and VERY pumpkin tasting. The cream cheese frosting was a perfect twist with the pumpkin, not too sweet like some other cream cheese icings can get.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup of canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Frosting:
4 tbsp butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 /2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl sift together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; then, set aside. In a large bowl, beat melted butter and brown sugar till smooth. Add in eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and mix till well combined. Slowly add in flour mixture, stirring only till combined. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until springy to the touch. Transfer to a cooling rack till completed cooled.

To prepare frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese. Add in the confectioners' sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed till sugar is incorporated into butter, then beat on high for 2-3 minutes.

Once cake cookies have cooled, find each cookie a soul mate (one that is similar in size) and pipe or spread frosting onto the smooth side of one cookie, then sandwich cookies together. Repeat with remaining cookies and frosting.

The frosting could have been thicker, as I kept having to chill it while trying to pipe the icing. So I recommended 1 and 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar in the recipe. When making mine, I only used 1 cup. I prefer a lighter frosting for cupcakes, but the thicker frosting is needed here to hold the shape of the whoopie pie.

This recipe was adapted from the Rachel Ray magazine.

In addition to getting y'all pumped about pumpkin (haha), I wanted to point out some yummy looking fall recipes, just to make sure we are all on the same page here. You know, the "I am so freaking excited for fall to come" page.

-Joy the Baker: Fried Apple Cakes, in case you are running out of ideas on what to do with all those apples you got picking last weekend.
-Good Things Catered: Big Mama's Chicken Pot Pie, because nobody knows pot pie like big mama!
-Baking Serendipity: Caramel Corn, this reminds me of those big bags you buy at the church carnivals, YUM!
-The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Butternut Squash Mac'n'Cheese, the ultimate cool weather comfort food paired with one* of the season's favorite squash.
-Veggie by Season: Homemade S'mores, something about sitting around the fire while roasting marshmallow's sounds so dreamy right now.

Happy Baking!