Pumpkin Whoopies with Cinnamon Maple Cream Cheese Filling

It's been a while but I couldn't keep these from my foodie friends. These are based on a recipe from Hannaford's Fresh Magazine that you pick up at the grocery store. I think it is a few years old and now I have tried all of the whoopie recipes that was in this particular issue. All of them are amazing and perfect.

The changes I made are minor. I added a little maple extract to the cake part. For the filling I didn't have 8 ounces of cream cheese - just 6 ounces. So I added 2 more ounces of butter to make up for it. I also added 2 teaspoons of maple extract and two shakes of cinnamon.

Perfection.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Source: Adapted from Hannaford Fresh Magazine
Yield: 2 dozen small

11/2 cup Light brown sugar

3/4 cup Canola oil

2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

2 each Egg

15 oz Canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

3 cup All purpose flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground

1/4 teaspoon Ginger, ground

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
1 teaspoon maple extract 

8 oz Cream cheese

1/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature

41/2 cup Confectioners` sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons maple extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix brown sugar, oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth after each egg. Add pumpkin and mix until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Add half the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, and remaining flour mixture, and mix well.

4. Drop 2-Tbsp. portions of batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each portion to allow for spreading. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until puffed and set but still soft when touched lightly with fingertips. Let cakes cool for 3 minutes on baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to finish cooling, about 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

5. Prepare filling while cakes are baking and cooling. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to mix cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and half the confectioners' sugar; mix on low at first to combine, then on high until smooth. Add remaining confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Assemble whoopie pies. Spoon filling onto the flat sides of half the cakes, dividing it evenly. Top with remaining cakes, flat side against the filling, rounded side up. Serve immediately, or wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to two days, or in freezer for up to two months.