Pastry Chef Brian Mercury’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Now that it’s officially fall, it’s officially okay to be in a pumpkin spice frame of mind, which makes it the perfect time to bust out this recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Puritan & Co. pastry chef Brian Mercury. It has all the seasonal flavors you’re craving — cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves — and cream cheese frosting to boot. Don your corduroys, bust out a sweater and get to baking (after you go apple picking and leaf peeping, of course).

Details

Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the cookies
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 ounces canned 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 1/2 scant cups bread flour.
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
For the cream cheese icing
  • 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
  • 12 ounces butter, at room temperature
  • 2 scant cups confectioners’ sugar.
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

For the cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Whisk together sugar and oil until they form a light, uniform and creamy mixture. It may help to use a mixer, if one is handy. Getting as much air into the mixture is essential.
  3. Add the eggs, slowly into the mixture, one at a time.
  4. Sift together bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Incorporate the sugar, egg and oil mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.
  5. Add pumpkin puree, mix to thoroughly combine. Scrape down while mixing.
  6. Using a 2 ounce ice cream scoop, or similar device, scoop mixture onto a greased, parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Lightly pat down scoops, as they will rise during baking.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until cookies spring to the touch. Test the cookies with a toothpick to prevent over/under-baking (toothpick should come out clean). Let cool completely on pan.
For the cream cheese icing
  1. Whisk all ingredients together until light and fluffy. The butter must be room temperature when mixing.
  2. Set aside until needed.
To assemble whoopie pies
  1. Once the cookies have cooled, build the sandwiches with cream cheese icing using a disposable pastry bag with the end snipped off. Press sandwiches down lightly until cream cheese icing reaches the edge.
  2. Cover cookies with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cookies can be frozen and will keep refrigerated up to three days.
It is ideal to use a scale when measuring sugar (8 ounces), confectioners' sugar (9 ounces) and bread flour (7 1/2 ounces).

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