As thankful as any girl could be this time of the year, I gush at giving thanks to all those who I've rubbed 'bows with in the past year, as well as those I've crossed paths with solely through my delectable 'buds and dainty nostrils -- you are wonderful.But, furthermore, I'd like to point out that if any holiday could be considered the ultimate celebration for a foodie, it would most definitely be Thanksgiving. In honor of my utmost favorite celebration, I lend the following pumpkin-punched recipe adapted from Brooklyn's Baked bakery because everyone knows this season wouldn't be the same if it weren't for our beloved, delightfully-orange squash.
Pumpkin Whoopies Pies pumped with Cream Cheese Filling
makes 12 sandwiches, double the amount of whoopies if palm-sized
for cookie:
3 cups all-purpose flour (i blend with whole-wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T. cinnamon
1 T. ginger
1 T. cloves
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup veggie oil (or canola)
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
for cream:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
making the cookie:
in a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.
in separate bowl, whisk brown sugar and oil together until combined. add pumpkin puree and whisk thoroughly. add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and combine well.
drop heaping tablespoon of dough onto prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart. bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies crack on top and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. let cookies cool completely while you make filling.
making cream filling:
sift confectioners' sugar into medium bowl. in electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until well-combined and fluffy. add the sugar and vanilla to butter and cream cheese. don't overbeat, or cream will loose its structure.
assembly:
drop the filling on the flat side of the cookie and place another cookie on top. put the completed whoopies in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving. whoopies will keep for 3 days.
