Whoompkins

I love some good fall baking, so I decided to dust off one of my favorite recipes. I am a huge fan of cake, so naturally I love whoopie pies. Chocolate-y cake goodness with frosting in between. There isn't much that can be better than that-- expect for Whoompkins. Think fall, think pumpkin, think whoopie pie, and you have a Whoompkin. Instead of the chocolate cake cookie, these are pumpkin and spice with a rich cream cheese and butter frosting. A recipe I learned back in my high school days while baking at my hometown's coffeehouse, I grew to love fall baking there for this recipe only (well, maybe because I also love to bake!). Anyway, I sure hope you enjoy them just as much as I do!

Cookie
Beat together:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add:
4 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger

After incorporated fully, add:
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup of half and half

After the batter has been completely mixed, scoop out batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet with a small ice cream scoop or with a quarter measuring cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure to make an even number of cookies for when you assemble them!

While the cookies are cooling on a baking rack, make the frosting.

You'll need:
2 8oz packs of cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
1 teaspoon of vanilla
half and half
powdered sugar

First, cream the butter and cream cheese together to a smooth consistency. Add about a cup of powdered sugar, the vanilla, and about a Tablespoon of half and half to create smooth consistency. Keep adding powdered sugar until frosting is nice and think and peaks when you lift out the beater.

Taking two cookies, put a good glob of frosting on the underside of one and close the sandwich with the other. For me, the recipe yields about 9 whoompkins, but I like to make mine extra big to indulge! If you want smaller whoompkins, just make smaller cookies!