Thanksgiving Inspiration - Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

i had a dream the other night about pumpkin whoopie pies. yes, that's the kind of person i am. i go to bed thinking about recipes to make. i wake up with new concoctions in my head. and, apparently, i dream about baked goods.

many of you who know me know that i am a cook. i don't like measuring things. i like adding a little of this, a pinch of that, and sometimes even a handful of those. baking is an entirely different animal. measuring is the name of the game. since i started this blog, i have been doing more baking than usual (as evident in my growing thighs). so it's no wonder the baking thing is in my dreams.

turns out, i couldn't get the whoopie pies out of my head so i had to make them. but wait - i said i didn't like pumpkin mere posts ago! i know, but if you read that post on my dislike of pumpkin closer you will notice i did exclude pumpkin whoopie pies. main reason: cream cheese icing. is there anything bad out there with cream cheese icing? seriously, i could (and do) eat that stuff with a spoon.

so to be clear, i don't love pumpkin. but i do like some baked goods that include pumpkin. including (but not limited to):
pumpkin whoopie pies
pumpkin butterscotch bars
pumpkin cake (with offensive amounts of whipped cream)
pumpkin butterscotch scones

~other pumpkin recipe suggestions are welcome~

ok, with all of that out of the way, i present you with pumpkin whoopie pies. adapted from the domestic goddess herself, martha stewart.

make these for thanksgiving, your family will thank you!

---

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
makes 40 mini pies
adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup olive oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract  

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

in a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flours, salt, powder, soda, and spice). set aside.

in a stand mixer, blend oil and brown sugar together until well combined. add pumpkin puree and beat until creamy. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. add vanilla. slowly add flour mixture and mix until combined.

drop teaspoons (i used an extra small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism) of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets. bake for 10 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). let cool slightly then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

make icing. cream together butter and cream cheese. add vanilla and slowly add powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. spread a teaspoon of icing onto the bottom of a cookie. press another cookie on top to create the whoopie pie. continue with remaining cookies and icing. 

store whoopie pies in airtight container in fridge.

store any leftover cream cheese icing in small container in fridge and dip finger in every so often to make sure it still tastes good:)