Thanksgiving Recipes from Farm Aid Staff: Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

To go along with the Farm Aid staffs' replies to the question, "Why are you thankful for family farmers?" we're posting some of our staffs' favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.

What better place to start than dessert? This recipe's been passed around from person to person slowly making the rounds. While the recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree, if you want to use fresh pumpkin and puree it yourself, go right ahead!

Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) butter (1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened)
1 cup Packed light brown sugar
2 Large eggs
1 cup Canned pure pumpkin puree
1 Tbs Pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1 2/3 C Flour
4 ounces Cream cheese, chilled
1 cup Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Whisk melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, 1 tsp vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and 3/4 tsp salt. Fold in flour with a rubber spatula.

Using a tablespoon, drop generous mounds of batter on baking sheets. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes.

Use an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with cream cheese. Add confectioner's sugar, 2 pinches of salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and mix on low speed until blended, then beat on med-high until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Spread and make sandwiches once fully cooled.

"whoopie pies one girl cookies" photo courtesy of flickr user cherrypatter through use of Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic license.