Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

I saw these in the October Food Network Magazine and knew I wanted to try them.  Luckily I had to bring a dessert to a meeting I was going to so my husband and I didn't need to eat them all ourselves.  The pumpkin taste is very light when mixed with the cream cheese and goes very well with the chocolate.  I have a question.  Why can't they make buttermilk in a pint container like they do with heavy cream and half and half instead of a quart container?  It doesn't last very long and I always end up throwing half the buttermilk away. 

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

To make the cookies:  Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then the buttermilk, and vanilla.  Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Drop scoops of batter about 1 tbsp each onto prepared baking sheet spacing them 3 inches apart.  Bake until edges are set but the cookies are still soft, about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let the cookies cool about 2 minutes on baking sheets until transferring to cooling racks.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with a mixer until smooth.  Slowly beat in the confectioners sugar until smooth.  Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and beat until smooth.

To assemble whoopie pies, spread heaping spoonful of filling on flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie.  Repeat with remaining cookies. 

Enjoy!  Susan

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