Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

One of our favorite things to add to a dessert, besides peanut butter, is pumpkin.  It does not even have to be fall for me to eat a good pumpkin pie.

A classic American treat, the Whoopie Pie, otherwise known as a “black-and-white,” got its start as being a delicious treat in lunch pails.  Wives of farmers would bake these treats once in a while for their husbands and pack them in their lunch pails.  The farmers would scream, “Whoopie!” as they discovered the sweet treat inside.  The whoopie pie happens to be Maine’s state treat, also home to the largest one ever made—it weighed 1,062 pounds!

Since we’re kicking off the first week of fall with fall-licous recipes, we’re going to start with one of Brian’s favorites: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tbsp ground cloves
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease baking sheets.
3. Combine the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix well.
4. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Let cookies cool then make sandwiches.
6. To Make Whoopie Pie Filling: Beat egg white and mix with the milk, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Mix well then beat in the shortening and the remaining cup of confectioners’ sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

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And…BOOM!  Each pie has about 400 calories, so eat them wisely!