Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Paleo Peeps: Avert Your Eyes!)

I have become especially excited to go to the grocery store lately because pumpkins have started to greet me at the door. To me, THIS is the most wonderful time of the year—Pumpkin season! 


I have been obsessed with pumpkins for many years. I love going to a local farm and picking pumpkins. I adore carving pumpkins and then roasting the seeds. I especially love baking with pumpkin.

Source


With my advent into the Paleo lifestyle, I have curbed my baking quite a bit and increased my “cooking” tenfold. Sweets have been replaced with gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free savories. My stomach and overall health have thrived on this new plan, but my nose misses the smell of pumpkin baked goods.

Chase came home on Friday with a special request for me—to bake “something sweet and pumpkin-ish” for a fellow doctor he has been working with lately. I practically danced to the kitchen. I instantly knew what I was going to bake—PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES! 



While these are in no way Paleo-friendly, my non-paleo husband and everyone else has given these babies the seal of pumpkin approval. 

I actually had a marvelous helper in the kitchen. Our "little brother" is a dynamite baker! 



Without further ado, I present to you:

 Sally Anne’s Wicked Whoopies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling.

For the Pies:

1 ¾ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp soda
¾ tsp baking powder
2 tsps. Cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
Pinch of nutmeg
½ cup oil
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 egg

1)      Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2)      Pour all ingredients into a bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed and mix for 1 minute.

3)      Transfer the batter to a pastry bag or a large ziploc bag and cut the corner off.

4)      Form the pies using about 2 tbsp of batter for each one. There should be  4 rows of 4 on each cookie sheet.



5)      Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes and then CHECK to see if they are done by sticking a toothpick into one pie. If it comes out clean, take them out of the oven. If not check in 3 minutes. 



6)      Cool and then fill.

FILLING

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese (softened)
4 tbsp. butter (softened)
1 ½  tsp. cinnamon
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1)      Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy.
2)      Add the cinnamon and 3 cups of sugar. Add more powdered sugar until it reaches the consistency of soft, but stable, filling. You want it to be the glue that holds the pies together, so make sure it is not “drippy.”
3)      Pour into a pastry bag or a ziploc bag and cut the corner of to squirt filling in between 2 whoopie pies. I use about 1 tbsp. in each “sandwich.”




What is YOUR favorite way to enjoy pumpkin?





6 comments:

  1. Pumpkin pie smoothie and pumpkin puree in my oatmeal! Mmmmmm! ...Or a pumpkin bread! Yummmm!

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  2. Could you not use coconut flour and thusly make the pie part of this whoopie pie paleo friendly?? Not sure how to hack the filling though. :(

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  3. aww these are awesome! I really really want to try to adapt these to be gluten free. I bet you can even use just heavy whipping cream and make the center filling, but the cake part might be hard to make paleo.

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  4. Ohh, with coconut flour for the pies and whipping cream for the filling these could potentially be Primal!!! Time to break out the Kitchen Aid!

    Y'all are the BEST!

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  5. "I practically danced to the kitchen" - lol, too cute. :) Looks yummy! If you try these with coconut flour you would have to up the egg/liquid content too. Instead of the brown sugar, replace it with coconut sugar. I'm thinking the filling will be the hardest part to replicate?? Let us know how they turn out if you do try to make them paleo!

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  6. YES!! I have been waiting for this recipe ever since you posted it a while back. I am DEFINITELY making these :)

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