Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (and our new sous-chef)

Pumpkins cravings inevitably strike right around the time temperatures begin to dip in the late summer evenings, but I do my darndest to hold off on indulging until the first official day of fall. Call me crazy, but with holiday decorations making their appearance earlier each year (has anyone ever actually verified this?), it just feels like the right thing to do.

Although my grandma's "black book pumpkin bread" is traditionally the first pumpkin dish out of the kitchen, these cute-to-boot whoopies were too much fun to resist. Also, have I mentioned there's bourbon in them? (I wonder if grandma ever adds a splash of bourbon to her bread for good measure...)

While we're on the subject of cuteness, fall, and pumpkins... foodie friends, meet our newest sous-chef, Gunslinger. A tip of the ten-gallon hat to our recent time in Texas, this little lady's white whiskered 'stache and notable swagger (an under-developed patella, I'm told) said to us that she was born to be our sweet Gunny.

Welcome fall! Welcome Gunny-bee! Now let's make some whoopies! :)

Did mom mention how much I LOVE to eat, too?! 

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES 
Makes approximately 16 Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

Whoopie Cakes: 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. (heaping) freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Turbinado sugar, for garnishing

Filling: 
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 TBS. unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 TBS. bourbon (or more to taste), OR 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Candied Pecans:
1/2 c. candied pecans or walnuts, found at your local gourmet market

Or to make your own Candied Pecans: 
2 TBS. packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 TBS. water
1/2 c. pecans

Official taste tester of batches 1, 2 & 3.

Making the Whoopie Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350, with rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl.

Whisk together the sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until well combined. Gently stir in the flour mixture until combined.

Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop (WORTH THE INVESTMENT! Available at your local kitchen store, they're good for so much more than ice cream), drop a scant scoop's worth of batter onto the prepared sheets, 2" apart.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, until springy to the touch. (14 minutes was the sweet spot for my oven). Transfer to a cookie rack to cool completely.

Form and bake the remaining batter on the second lined baking sheet. You should end up with approximately 32 cookie cakes, depending on how patient you or your official taste tester is to try them. *AHEM*

These cookie cakes can be made one day ahead, and kept on cooling racks or room-temperature baking sheets, covered with a kitchen towel.

Making Candied Pecans:

Feeling ambitious? If you're making your own candied pecans, leave the oven on, and line another baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together the sugar, salt, and 1/2 TBS. water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil, and then immediately add the pecans.

Remove from heat and spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the coating is bubbling and golden brown, 8-10 minutes.

Cool completely on the pan, set on a rack. Once cooled, coarsely chop the pecans. The pecans can be made up to three days ahead and kept, unchopped, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Making the Filling:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until very smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and bourbon (mmmmm..... have some ice and a glass nearby?), and mix on low speed until combined and smooth.

Chill the filling enough to hold its shape before assembling the whoopie pies, ideally 30 minutes to 1 hour. The filling can be made a day ahead, covered, and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assembling the Whoopie Pies:

You've made it! All that work is about to pay off in a very tasty way.

Simply spread 1 heaping TBS. or one 1-ounce ice cream scoop's worth of filling on to the flat side of a whoopie cake, and top with another cake.

Once they're assembled, chill for 30 minutes if necessary to firm up the filling, and then gently press the chopped pecans along the edges of the filling. Garnish the tops with turbinado sugar for texture and to help prevent sticky fingers!

These are darling presented on a cake stand, but look gorgeous garnished with whole candied pecans or walnuts on a large platter. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from Gourmet Live (November, 2011).