Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese filling

These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are the perfect bite-size fall dessert!  All the yummy, comforting flavors of pumpkin pie in a moist cookie cake, with a rich maple cream cheese filling.   They will make you happy it's fall time :)

 

 

Recipe ~ yields about 2 dozen whoopee pies

Cakes:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree

2 large eggs at room temp

3 cups all purpose flour

2 Tbsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Maple Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

12 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners sugar

2 Tbsps pure maple syrup

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugars, oil, pumpkin and eggs and beat on medium speed until smooth.  Sift together flour and all the spices and baking powder in a separate bowl and stir to blend.  Add flour mixture and vanilla to pumpkin mixture and beat just until incorporated and smooth - do not overbeat.  Using a tablespoon size cookie scoop drop onto prepared baking sheets leaving about 2" space between each.

Bake until just set in the middle about 8 mins,, be careful not to over bake.  Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. 

Prepare filling:  In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and maple syrup.  and cream together until smooth.  Add confectioners sugar and continue beating until smooth.
When cakes are cooled pipe filling generously on flat side of one cake and then cover with flat side of another cake, press lightly together.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up before serving.  These stay well for a 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or individually wrapped in saran wrap.  Can be served cold or at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from Taste of the South

Enjoy!





Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

 

If you've followed my blog you know I love Whoopie Pies ~ my favorite is the traditional chocolate cake like cookies filled with a sweet vanilla and marshmallow buttercream.  I have tried several flavor variations, but none were quite good, until this one.  This may not technically be a whoopie pie - the cookie is more flat like a cookie, and the filling a sweetened cream cheese.  But because it has the same idea - 2 delicious cookie/cakes sandwiching a yummy cream - I'm categorizing it with my Whoopies!!  The cookies are chockfull of carrots and oatmeal and traditional carrot cake spices and the filling has some nice spices too.

Recipe:
Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
4 oz  1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 sugar
1 large egg at room temp
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups finely grated carrots
Filling
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/3 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsps marshmallow fluff
Instructions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a med mixing bowl, set aside.  Beat the butter on low in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Increase the speed to med and beat for 2 more mins until light and creamy.  Add the sugars and continue beating until very light and creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate.  Gradually add the dry ingredients along with the oats, beating until completely incorporated.  Stir in the carrots.  Using a tablespoon scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto the pan, spacing about 2 inches apart.  Place in the oven and bake for about 15 mins, or until brown and crips around the edges, and center is set.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  For filling:  Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle on low, then increase to med and beat for about 3 mins or until light and creamy.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until very light and fluffy.  When the cookies are cool, spread the flat side of a cookie with about 2 Tbsp of the filling, and top with a second cookie, flat side down, press together lightly.  Store airtight in layers separated by waxed paper, at room temp for up to a week.  Makes 1 dozen.
Recipe slightly adapted from "Milk and Cookies"  Carrot Cake Cookie Recipe

From one of my favorite cookie cookbooks, available in my baking store:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/0811872548

 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pies with Bailey's Irish Cream Whoopie Filling

I love whoopie pies,  so for St. Patrick's Day I wanted to do an Irish themed Whoopie.  I tweaked my whoopie recipe to add Guinness Stout Beer to the cake, and Bailey's to the cream filling, and boy did these additions take this whoopie up a couple of notches.  The stout added a deep flavor to the chocolate and a tenderness to the cake, while the Bailey's sweetened and gave the cream a nice flavor kick, YUMMY!  I made mini ones again, because I love the single serving 2 bite size of these - but you can choose to make these as big or small as you like.

Recipe
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sourcream 
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Guinness extra stout beer

1 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tsp Bailey's Irish Cream
1-2 T milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together eggs, oil and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add salt, vanilla and sour cream, mix until blended.  Sift together the cocoa and flour in a medium bowl.  Heat the Guinness in a small saucepan to a low simmer, remove from heat, let slightly cool then mix in the baking soda.  Add the flour cocoa mixture alternatively with the beer mixture until well combined.  For mini whoopies use a teaspoon cookie scoop and drop mounds onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for about 7 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched, do not overcook.  Cool completely.
For filling:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine and mix all ingredients except baileys and milk.  When combined add bailey's and mix well.  Then add just enough milk until you a creamy piping consistency.  Pipe filling onto bottom of cookie and top with another cookie.  Garnish with sprinkles if desired.

Enjoy!

Whoopie Pie Love

A whoopie pie's a wondrous thing,

Like newborn pups or early spring.

It fills the mouth with rapture sweet,

This yummy chocolate sandwich treat

Anonymous (from book "Making Whoopies")

Have you ever had a Whoopie Pie?  They are like devil dogs but the cake is moister - a rich chocolaty cake, and the cream is more decadent- a vanilla marshmallow buttercream.  They are addicting!  For me, it was love at first bite, the forever kind of love :)  The best ones I've had were at Hershey Farm Inn in Lancaster Pennsylvania.

 

Fancy Whoopie, Raspberry filling and Raspberry Rose topping

 

A cornucopia of whoopies ~ original chocolate with vanilla filling and pumpkin with cream cheese filling

I even tried a Strawberry Shortcake Version, vanilla cookie cakes with fresh strawberry buttercream mixed with chunks of fresh strawberries

If you love whoopies like me you will love them in a whoopie pie cake, lots of that chocolately cake with the sweet cream in the middle and as a topping, it doesn't get better then this!

100 Mini's

Patriotic Mini Whoopies

 

My favorite recipe for whoopies is:

Whoopie Pies on the Food Network, from Moody's Diner

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/foodnation-with-bobby-flay/whoopie-pies-recipe/index.html

For more flavors and recipes check out my store for whoopie cookbooks - in the cookbook section!  http://rosiescountrybaking.blogspot.com/p/rosies-amazon-baking-store.html

Whoopie Pie Festival 2011!

If there was such a thing as Whoopie Pie Heaven, thats how I would describe Hershey Farm Inn's Whoopie Pie Festival that was held yesterday.  I was lucky enough to attend this year, dragging my family with me (who aren't as crazy about whoopies as I am) to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I enticed my daughter with the all you can eat buffet - she's in love with the mashed potatoes, and my husband and son with also going to the annual Cherry Crest Amaizing Maize Maze.  So we arrived at Hershey Farm Inn late Friday night, anticipating the festival the following morning.    When I woke up in the morning, the staff were busily setting up and here is what it looked like.  As I strolled down towards the pond there was a huge tent with tables upon tables filled with WHOOPIE PIES

   YES THOSE ARE ALL WHOOPIE PIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a beautiful sight!  I moved from table to table becoming a bit dizzy - there were so many flavor varieties!  The traditional delicious chocolate cake shell with many inventive fillings, including cookies and cream and coffee; and other flavored shells with a variety of creamy fillings: red velvet, coconut, pumpkin, carrot, lemon.  I lost count of all the flavor varieties! When the crowds starting coming people were buying up whoopie pies like crazy!


The kids ended up having a fun time with the whoopie pie treasure hunt, my daughter found the golden whoopie and won a whoopee cushion!  They also liked the whoopie pie launch, creating their own whoopies and witnessing the largest whoopie pie ever made.

              Wow, they said this weighed in at over 600 lbs!
Unfortunately I did not get to stay for the whoopie pie eating contest.  The compromise with my family was to leave at 2pm to go over to Cherry Crest Farm for the Amazing Maize.  I kind of wanted to compete in that, maybe next year ........
My son and husband loved the maze so much I heard them saying lets make this an annual event - whoopie pie festival and the maze, so maybe I'll have a chance next year!

Some of the goodies I brought home, strawberry, pumpkin, turtle, chocolate chunk and raspberry whoopies; peach jam, and I found a whoopie pie scented candle!  I am so full from all the delicious breakfast and dinner buffets I could barely eat whoopies that day, guess who was eating them all day-my husband - I think he caught the whoopie fever!   Since they stay good in the freezer, I plan on freezing them and sampling 1 at a time.  Now that I'm home I keep thinking about all the other flavors, I wish I would have bought them all and froze them to sample all year long.  Well theres always next year, right?