Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies

 

Sometimes having the right pan for the job just makes things soooo much easier.

Take whoopie pies, for example.

You can make them without the whoopie pie pan but they just never turn out as cute. Sure, they will taste as scrumptious as the perfectly formed round ones BUT they just won't be as, well....perfectly formed.

I bought a whoopie pie pan a while ago and love trying new recipes in it. I just recently got another whoopie pie pan that has realy cute fall inspired shapes - leaves and pumpkins - so I knew I had to try a fall-ish recipe. Hello Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup buttermilk

 

Cream Cheese Filling

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

Decoration

1 cup finely chopped pecans

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray whoopie pie pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Beat in both sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with pumpkin and buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.

Fill each pan only 1/2 full, spreading batter to edges of cavity.

Bake at 350 for 7 - 10 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let pan cool about 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Filling - Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in icing sugar and vanilla.

To assemble whoopie pies - Spread filling on one cake and sandwich with another cake. Squish cakes together so a little of the filling squeezes out the sides. Roll sides of whoopie pie in finely chopped pecans, pressing to spread evenly.

These are great for bake sales or events where you want to be able to hold on to your treat and not use a plate. You can even individually wrap these for the kids' lunches.

I love how moist and pumpkin-y this recipe is :)

A couple of notes - DO NOT fill the pans more than halfway! They rise a lot...a lot lot... and you don't want them to be all puffy. You want them to be fairly flat.

DO NOT let them cool completely in the pan! You will not like trying to dig them out. Remove them after 5 minutes so they don't stick too much.

 

Adorned From Above has some great links this week! Don't forget to check them out. :)

And Blissful and Domestic has more great links as well.