Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Molasses Cream Cheese Filling

I had all intentions of posting something fun for you tonight.

However, its already after 10PM and I just helped Mr. Vittles write a (glowing) cover letter for a job application.

My creative juices are all tapped out.

:(

Luckily, my creativity was flowing the night I made these whoopie pies - so I guess we'll just have to live vicariously through that memory.

I got the recipe for the cookie part from Joy of Baking, and the filling is just an original recipe that I made to  complement the pumpkin.

Mr. V said the whoopie pies tasted like pumpkin bread (one of his absolute most favorite things) with whipped cream icing.

Or in other words-heaven.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Molasses Cream Cheese Filling

Cookies:

• 2 C. all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/8 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 C. light brown sugar
• 1/2 C. canola oil
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 C. canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (flour through salt) and set aside.

In separate bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs & sugar til light & smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in oil, vanilla, and pumpkin.  Add flour mixture & beat until just incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop (if you want large pies) or a small cookie scoop (for bite-sized pies), place mounds of batter onto prepared sheets 2" apart.  Using a metal or rubber spatula, slightly flatten the mounds and spread into a circle shape.  (The cookies pretty much hold their shape in the oven so you want them to be as uniform as possible going in!)

Bake 15-18 minutes (for large size, or 10-12 minutes for small) or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven & cool a couple minutes on sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

When cookies are cool, prepare Molasses Cream Cheese Filling:

• 6 T. butter
• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 C. confectioners sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 1 T. molasses
• 1 T. milk

Cream all ingredients together until light & fluffy.

Spread a layer of filling to desired thickness onto the flat side of one cookie.  Lightly place a matching cookie flat side down on top of the icing, and twist gently to evenly distribute filling.

Makes about 9 large pies, or 18 bite-sized ones.

Cookie recipe from JoyofBaking.com, filling recipe original