Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

As a baker I get over the top excited with the change of seasons…especially fall. So when v suggested a night of pumpkin cooking, I was a happy girl. To accompany her delicious pumpkin enchiladas (also known as the pumpkin naco), I decided to make pumpkin chocolate chip whoopie pies. Making these adorable little treats was a blast – for both me and Lucy (my shiny, pretty standing mixer). Any time I open a can of pumpkin (One Pie brand - represent) I am immediately in a fantastic mood. The combination of the cream cheese, chocolate chips and pumpkin in this recipe is perfection. I will repeat: perfection. WARNING: Do not make these unless you have plans to share them immediately. Being home alone with the finished product can lead to consuming all of these cuties in one sitting.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies
serves 1 - 15 / adapted from this recipe


Here's what I used:

Cookies

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves (I substituted a dash of cloves and 1/8 tsp of pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Filling

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 3/4 confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Here's what I did:

Cookies (you should end up with 30 cookies for 15 whoopie pies)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray (I use Pam for baking).
2. Beat the butter until soft.
3. Add the sugars gradually and beat until airy.
4. Add egg, beat until incorporated.
5. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin.
6. Mix the flours, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices together.
7. Add the dry mixture into the batter gradually and make sure it's completely blended.
8. At this point, take the bowl off the mixer and use a flat spatula to incorporate the chocolate chips and the nuts.
9. Using a tablespoon, lump batter onto cookie sheets and bake. The recipe I used called for 15-20 at 350, but my little baby apartment oven only took 13 minutes.
10. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Then, go through them to match up sizes to make the perfect whoopie

Filling

1. Mix the cream cheese (softened works best) and the confectioners sugar.
2. Then use a spatula to stir in the chocolate chips. The recipe called for mini chips, but I couldn’t find any and the regular size worked fine.
3. Spread frosting and sandwich away!