Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

WHOOPIE PIES!  Whoopie pies are such a fun dessert.  I love them...although, let's be honest, there aren't too many desserts that I don't love...but, I especially love this dessert, and I especially love them in the fall.  It's fun to say whoopie pie.  Whooooppppppie Pie!  And as fun as it is to say whoopie pie, it's even more fun to eat a whoopie pie.  Two soft, thick cookies sandwiching a thick, rich, sweet layer of cream cheese filling, what's not to love!  Mmmmmm.

This was my first pumpkin dessert of the season, and I must say I started off strong.  These whoppie pies are nothing short of amazing.  I feel obligated to give you a warning, be prepared for these whoopie pies to disappear really fast.  Also, be prepared be stuff yourself with more pumpkin-cream-cheesy goodness than is necessary or appropriate.  I didn't think I would, I thought my will power was stronger than that, but as soon as these come out of the fridge, your will power will go right out the window.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

A few words of wisdom on this recipe....follow the directions.  When you're making the filling, be sure the butter and cream cheese are actually soft.  If you have to question if it's soft enough, it's probably not.  I get it if you're in a hurry, we've all been there at one time or another.  But, making buttercream when your butter is still a little hard leads to lumps and it's a pain to work them out, and no one likes to find lumps of butter in their buttercream.  Also, the recipe calls for chilled pumpkin puree, so be sure to chill the pumpkin.  Until now, I've never made a recipe that called for chilled pumpkin puree, but according to the book, the chilled puree makes the whoopies easier to scoop and gives them a domed top.  Interesting stuff.  The guys at Baked have one of the best bakeries in Brooklyn and two awesome cookbooks, so I'm more than happy to go along with what they say.

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

(From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

For the Cookies:

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon cloves

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (I use canola oil)

3 cups chilled pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon 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 vanilla extract

To make the cookies...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  

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 (or, cookie dough scooper!) with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared 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 pan while you make the filling.

To make the cream cheese filling...

Sift the conectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or, if you're like me and without a countertop mixer, use a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer), 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 in the refrigerator.  Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)

To assemble the whoopies...

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).

Use an ice cream scooper or tablespoon (or, cookie dough scooper!) 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 whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving (you'll start to notice the filling gets a little soft).

The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!