Learn how to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Ingredients:
1 1kg pumpkin (or 2 Cups of pureed pumpkin)
1 Cup brown sugar
¾ Cup sugar
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
2 ounces butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 Cups icing sugar, sifted
zest from 1 orange
Instructions:
Cut pumpkin into wedges. Remove seeds and bake for 45 minutes. Scoop out flesh from skin and use a blender to make a puree, adding water if necessary. When pumpkin puree is cool, whisk in sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl. Then add puree and stir to combine. The batter should be thick and heavy.
Drop batter into mounds (3 inches in diameter for large or 1 inch for small) onto a greased baking sheet, leaving an inch of room between each mound.
Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, as the top of the cookie begins to crack. Remove from oven & cool completely.
For the filling, beat butter to remove lumps. Add cream cheese and orange zest then continue beating until smooth. Gradually mix in icing sugar to combine.
Put a dollop of cream cheese onto the centre of one cookie and sandwich with another, pressing together until the filling spreads to the edge. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
* Any comments, feedback, tips or cousin Priscilla’s not-so-secret recipes gladly welcome. Do share how the granola bars turn out. I’m on Twitter @GeraldoTan
** A version of this article appeared in the magazine Qatar Happening**
