Cookie Carnival: Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

It's cookie carnival time again! This month's selection was Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. I was stoked about this recipe because I LOVE chocolate and I LOVE pumpkin! I was really excited to put the two together.

These cookies were amazing! I loved everything about them! The cookie itself was very more like a cake, but who doesn't like cake? I made some mini's, but most were huge monster whoopie pies. I also added some orange icing gel to the filling to brighten it up. It makes for a very Halloween-y looking cookie!

There was one problem with the recipe, though. The filling was way too runny. I added extra powdered sugar to try and thicken it up and it didn't help at all. So, I piped in the filling and refrigerated the cookies. That helped a little and the filling didn't run out completely.

Overall I was 100% satisfied with this recipe. I will be making it again and I look forward to playing around with the filling. So many different ways this can be made. Mmmmm... the wheels are turning!

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Makes about 20

FOR THE COOKIES
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
* 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING
* 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
* Pinch of cinnamon
* Pinch of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

3. Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

4. Prepare filling: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg; whip until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

5. Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.