Mini Pumpkin Whoppie Pies

Zac is a very sweet little boy. 

Perhaps it's a mother's bias, but it's true. He always worries about others, is extremely encouraging and madly over sensitive. 

He's going to be the best boy friend/husband someday I'm thinking.

One of his favourite things to do is surprise my mister's co-workers with treats that we've made with them in mind. He thinks it makes everyone feel so special and he gets such a high seeing how happy everyone gets when he hands them a little baggie of freshly baked goodies.

I love making my mister's co-workers goodies because it's 2 days worth of entertainment! Day 1, bake off the treat and package, day 2 deliver. I think it's just as much a treat for me as it is for the folks in the office.

A few weeks ago Zac asked if we could visit Daddy at work and surprise everyone. I managed to put off the idea until closer to thanksgiving so we could package them up with tags.

As it was a thanksgiving treat I really wanted something pumpkin flavoured but didn't have all the ingredients for any recipes I found, so I pieced together and made up my own. 

I was pleased with the results and everyone else seemed to enjoy them as well.

I did slack a bit and used store bought cream cheese icing. It was easier and on sale... so $1 for the pre-made tub or $6 for the cream cheese alone... pre-made won and it tastes just as good as homemade.

I used Pumpkin Pie filling, but if you only have pure pumpkin have no fear! just add 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp ginger, 1/2 tbsp cloves and 1 tsp nutmeg (unless you like nutmeg alot... then add more...)

Mini Pumpkin Whoppie Pies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cups vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups (cold) pumpkin pie filling (540ml can)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla 

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

Whisk brown sugar and vegetable oil together until combined. Add pumpkin pie filling and mix until completely combined and then add eggs and vanilla, again, mixing until completely combined. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until the flour is completely mixed in. 

Using a melon baller scoop rounds of the dough onto a greased (or parchment lined) cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

(If you keep the dough in the fridge while you're waiting for your cookie sheet to bake it will ensure that you get a nice poofy cookie.)

Let cookies cool about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Once the cookies have completely cooled assemble your whoopie pies by putting a small scoop of icing along the underside of one cookie and smushing another cookie on top (so the undersides of each cookie are facing together with icing in between).

You can of course make these with a bigger scoop making larger whoopie pies OR add butterscotch chips to the batter and bake off (these take a bit longer to bake) and eat individually.

They are a cakey cookie, almost like the top of a muffin, super soft and super yummy!