Pumpkin Whooooopie Pies!

Well, twas my week to bring treats to The Canvas (twenty-somethings ministry in Btown), and of course I couldn't make just anything. I had to try making something new! And for once... I followed the entire recipe, without making any adjustments at all. Crazy! And they actually turned out absolutely amazing. I mean seriously, these are just melt-in-your-mouth amazing. And I'm not just saying that because I made them. Credit that to the recipe-maker. Since I needed a lot of these, I didn't actually "pie" them up by sandwiching them like they were supposed to be. But golly, they were just fine without that gesture.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

(The recipe says this makes 12 pies, I ended up with more like 20. I guess it depends on the size of the cookies. These are rich and I can’t imagine them being any bigger than what I made.)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar (I used light and they still turned out good)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk sugar and oil together until combined. Add the chilled 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.
Scoop out little half-spheres of dough about an 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 for 10 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, form sandwiches using Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.


Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

(it looks like mashed potatoes to me..)

• 1 pound box of confectioners sugar, divided (about 3 c. powdered sugar, unpacked)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 stick of butter at room temperature

Sprinkle 1/2 cup powdered sugar over bottom of small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts (do not stir). Continue cooking until sugar turns deep amber, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Carefully stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon cream. Strain into small bowl. Cool caramel to room temperature.
Sift remaining powdered sugar into medium bowl. Using electric mixer (or by hand, as I did) beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add cooled caramel and beat well. (I only used about 3/4 of the caramel, taste as you add it until it gets to desired amount of caramel flavor.) Cover and chill frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours (or just put in the freezer for 20 min).

I was especially impressed by my ability to make caramel on my first try. This recipe is so fun to make! Good luck ;)