Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I found this recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies on Serious Eats from the book Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. These aren't quite as sweet as the typical chocolate/icing version that I had when I was younger. The original recipe makes about 24 large whoopie pies or 40 smaller ones, but I cut the recipe in half to make a more reasonable amount. I didn't use the 1 tablespoon ground cloves called for in the original recipe because I don't have them, but I added an extra sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice - it really isn't necessary though, as these already have a great spiced flavor. For the heck of it, I added about a 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter after I had already baked 1/2 of them, just to have a pumpkin/chocolate combination - the ones with chocolate chips aren't as smooth and pretty though.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (can use all white flour if desired)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
dash pumpkin pie spice, if desired
1 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chilled pumpkin purée (almost 1 can)
1 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup or more mini chocolate chips, if desired

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use nonstick baking mats, like this one which I highly recommend.
-In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice (if using) together and set aside.
-In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
-Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and mix until completely combined.
-Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, about one inch apart. I made most of them slightly bigger than a 50 cent piece so they'd be mini--make them whatever size you'd prefer.
-Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are firm but springy on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.
-After the filling is made, turn 1/2 of the cookies flat side up and drop a dollop of filling in the middle. Top with the flat side of a cookie of equal size and press down gently to spread the filling to the sides. Place in fridge for 30 minutes before serving. Store is fridge separated by waxed or parchment paper and covered with plastic wrap.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened – ¼ c
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it's completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar (or sift directly into the mixing bowl) and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling. (The filling can be made one day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)