Ingredients
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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2 tablespoons cinnamon
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1 tablespoon ground ginger
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1 tablespoon ground cloves
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2 cups packed dark brown sugar
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1 cup vegetable oil (I substituted canola oil)
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3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
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2 eggs (large ones)
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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3 cups confectioners' sugar
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
- Prep the cookies first. Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together and put 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 whisk until combined. (You may need to trade to a spatula here unless you have a large, sturdy whisk.).
- Sprinkle the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture a half-cup at a time and whisk until completely combined. Do this until all flour is added and combined.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, about one inch apart.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack 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 (or move them to a wire rack to reuse the sheet) while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until it's completely smooth, with no visible lumps.
- Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Don't overmix the filling or it will lose its structure.
- To assemble the cookies, turn one cooled cookies upside down so the flat side facing up.
- Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie.
- Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling.
- Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie.
- Repeat this until you use all your cookies.
- Chill the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving. They will keep for a couple days in the refrigerator if you don't eat them in one sitting.