the purple carrot: Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Hello pumpkin season!

I can’t help but get caught up in the wonderful seasonal foods this time of year; apples, cider, soup, and my favorite lately … pumpkin. So let’s just get right to it. Pumpkin whoopie pies. Oh yes.

I seem to be seeing these around the web a lot these past few weeks, but I could not help myself, I just had to whip up my own. The cookies are light, airy and delicious with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and the cream cheese filling is fluffy and fabulous.

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies *makes about 3 dozen mini pies
-lightly adapted from Cooks.com

COOKIES
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cups cane sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup plain pumpkin puree (I used Farmers Market Organic brand)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a large mixer bowl, beat together butter and sugar for about two minutes. Add eggs, beating well. Add milk, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until mixture is smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until combined. Drop heaping teaspoon sized pieces of batter on baking sheets. This recipe should make about 72 mini cookies. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Remove, and let cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy

Now it’s time to combine them!! Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, and top with a second cookie to make the completed whoopie pie. Repeat with remaining cookies, and store in air tight container in refrigerator.