Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Filling

Chilly days lead to warm thoughts of autumnal flavors simmering on the stove or baking in the oven. This time of year I love to make butternut squash soup, apple pies, spice cake, and anything with pumpkin. I usually can't wait for Thanksgiving Day to dig in to a homemade pumpkin pie so two weeks ago I made one and devoured it with Mike's help in three days. As I was finishing the last few bites of pie I started thinking about what else I could make using pumpkin.

I searched the web and quickly found a recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies on Martha's site and was amazed, no shocked, to find that it was not a Martha original. She credited Matt Lewis of Baked Bakery in Brooklyn for the recipe. I guess even Martha has a few "go-to" people for great cookie recipes.

I brought these to a family party celebrating my uncle's 60th birthday and they were a big hit. The cake is very moist and spiced with generous amounts of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. The cream cheese filling is a perfect complement. While sweet, it balances perfectly with the pumpkin-spice cake.

I think I'll make them to bring along on Thanksgiving Day when Mike and I make the trek to Long Island for our feast!

Baker's Note: Be sure to use pure canned pumpkin in a 15 ounce can, not something in a similar can called pumpkin pie filling. The latter has spices already mixed in and will lead to an over-spiced cake. At the start, open the cans of pumpkin, place in a bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill. Finally, if you don't have a pastry bag to pipe the filling, don't stress. I used a spoon to gently dollop the filling onto each cookie.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Filling

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream-Cheese Filling

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add chilled pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Make the Filling:
Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. Filling can be made a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.

Assemble Whoopie Pies:
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Transfer filling to a pasty bag or a plastic bag, snipping off the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. Press down slightly so the filling spreads toward the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate cookies for at least 30 minutes before serving. Best eaten within 3 days.


Cookie press rating: 5 cookies! (out of 5) A perfect score!

Makin' Whoopie (Pies)

The snowy weather is getting me down. I'm lucky that I don't have to get out there with a shovel and strain my back lifting the heavy white stuff that seems to be falling every other day. Still though, putting on boots, a scarf, heavy jacket, gloves and a hat every time I go out is just plain tiresome. I long for the days when I can just go outside in a t-shirt and the only thing on my head is a pair of Ray Bans.

When the days are short and the weather is below freezing I love to make comfort food. But what's the equivalent of comfort food in terms of cookies? One could argue that all cookies are comfort food but I prefer to think there are some extra decadent cookies that get my endorphins going without the monotony of a treadmill. I think I found the ultimate comfort cookie in the Whoopie Pie.

Just the name puts a smile on my face. Whoopie! I did a google search and found an article in the N.Y. Times about the resurgence of the Whoopie Pie published just about this time last year. These cakey mounds of deliciousness are perfect with a tall glass of milk. The buttercream filling is so decadent it will make your blood vessels scream for a dose of Lipitor. But they are worth it. There will be time for exercise later, but for now, I'm all about the Whoopie Pie.

Whoopie Pies Recipe

I suggest making the pies a bit smaller since a few of mine came out very large and were difficult to handle. The mounds of batter spread in the oven, so be sure to leave enough room in between. Cool completely before filling with buttercream.

Instead of the suggested buttercream filling, I used a very simple recipe for buttercream as follows:

Simple Buttercream Filling

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt

In the bowl of a mixer, beat softened butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt and continue mixing for about two minutes. Add vanilla and milk and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. If the filling is too thick, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. If the filling is too thin, add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

Let cookies cool completely before spreading a generous dollop of buttercream on one half and gently pressing another half on top. Store at room temperature for up to three days if they last that long.



Cookie Press Review
Wow. These are so decadent and delicious. I'm not even sure I would classify them as a cookie. These pies are more like the best cupcake I've ever had in my life. The sea salt adds just a hint of salty flavor while the chocolate cake combines with the buttercream to create a perfect storm of sweetness. This is one guilty pleasure in which I was glad to indulge.

Cookie press rating: 4 1/2 cookies (out of five)