Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting

The day October 1 arrives, my brain immediately goes into fall baking mode: pumpkins, apples, squash, and all the corresponding spices! Yum.

Every year, I am asked to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. This year, I decided get in front of the asks, and kick-off October by making these delicious treats. 

There's truly no better smell than having the aroma of pumpkin pie spice in the air. Try out this fool-proof recipe and I guarantee you'll be the talk of your next dinner party. 

PUMPKIN SPICE WHOOPIE PIES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
yield: 24 pies

whoopie pie ingredients
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups 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

cream cheese frosting ingredients
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with a Silpat (If you don't have a silicon baking mat, I highly encourage you to invest in one.). 
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix well.
3. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with a Silpat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool.
4. While cookies cool, make the filling. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese with butter, until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
5. Make sandwiches from two cookies filled with cream cheese frosting.