Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I had originally planned on making these pumpkin whoopie pies back when my dad was in town, but I ran out of time and had to make something that required less work.

Like Amber, I was worried about how the recipe called for so much of the spices. (Especially the cloves. That is a LOT of cloves.) However, when all was said and done, these were perfect. The cookie portion is deliciously moist and cakey, and the sweetness of the frosting wonderfully complements the spices.

I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, so I used a simple vanilla buttercream that I’ve used before (for chocolate cake cookie sandwiches). If you want to use the cream cheese version, click through to Amber’s blog for that recipe.

After I sandwiched the frosting in between the cookies, I rolled the edges in festive sprinkles. (The sprinkles were our 2-year-old nephew’s favorite part. Don’t you know? Sprinkles make everything better.)

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
– 3 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 tsp. salt
– 1 tsp. baking powder
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
– 1 tbsp. ground ginger
– 1 tbsp. ground cloves
– 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
– 1 cup vegetable oil
– 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
– 2 large eggs
– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
– 3/4 cup butter, softened
– 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
– 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 2-3 tbsp. milk

Directions:
1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

4. Using a small scoop with a release mechanism, drop 1-2 heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

5. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. If the frosting too thick, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until incorporated.

6. To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on a work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down so that the frosting reaches the edges of the cookies.