MINI PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

MINI PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES image

Categories Cupcake

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 23

For the cakes
2 ounces butter, softened at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon Angostura bitters
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon powdered ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
For the filling
3 ounces butter, very soft
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest (about half an orange's worth)
½ teaspoon powdered ginger
6 ounces cream cheese, softened

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. For the cakes, cream together the butter and vanilla bean seeds with the dark brown sugar. (Save the vanilla bean pod for another use.) Slowly drizzle the oil into the creamed mixture and continue to mix until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract and bitters until smooth. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients and add in three batches to the creamed mixture, alternating with the pumpkin puree. When the mixture is smooth, pipe or scoop out 1½-inch rounds onto parchment paper, and bake for 8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out clean. 3. Meanwhile, make the filling by creaming together the butter with the powdered sugar, orange zest and ginger. Add the cream cheese and mix until it comes together smoothly. 4. When the baked cookies are totally cool, sandwich them in twos around a generous. The filling recipe is generous, so use as much filling as you like.