For all of you Whoopie Pie lovers, I have found the perfect combination! Just imagine some scrumptious maple cream cheese icing in between two succulent Whoopie’s. Now I have you drooling don’t I! So get right back on your horse and get baking so you can enjoy some decadent treats for yourself.

I baked these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for my Grandparents 60^th Wedding Anniversary along with the Chocolate Nutella Cookies and found that they were just right together. Although very different from the Nutella Cookies, these Pumpkin Whoopie’s fit right in and they added to the celebration for my Grandparents. They were quite pleased on how I had managed to bring in the 61st year of their marriage with such mouth watering flavors, and believe it or not,  grandma almost lost her dentures when her jaw dropped at the sight of them! Luckily she was able to pull it together and have a bite or five of these delicious Whoopie Pies! I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did!

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Makes about 45 medium sized Whoopie Pies but varies every time.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Whoopie’s:

3 cups              All-purpose flour
2 tbsp               Cinnamon
1 tsp                  Baking powder
1 tsp                  Baking soda
1 tsp                  Salt
1 tsp                  Ground ginger
½ tsp                Ground nutmeg
1 cup                 Granulated sugar
1 cup                 Packed brown sugar
1 cup                 Canola or vegetable oil
3 cups               Chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
2                         Large eggs
1 tsp                  Pure vanilla extract

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling:

3 cups              Powdered sugar
8 ounces         Cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup              Unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 tbsp               Maple syrup
1 tsp                  Pure vanilla extract

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
• Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.
• To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• To assemble the Whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread 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 before serving.