If you've been with the blog since the beginning (and that's basically, my husband, sisters, kids and a couple of crazy friends) you may remember that I made a stunning revelation last year. All my life I swore off pumpkin-based treats, claiming that I hated the taste of pumpkin, when in reality what I really didn't like were the ginger, nutmeg and cloves that are generally found in pumpkin desserts. Once I omitted those offenders and baked my Pumpkin Surprise Muffins, Easy Pumpkin Bars, Gourmet's Pumpkin Cheesecake and these yummy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, I realized that I'm actually a pumpkinophile (not sure if that's a word) and I've been waiting and waiting for the weather to turn cooler so that I can start indulging my pumpkin love. Well, with Fall officially here and October 1st just days away, I think that Pumpkin Time is officially here. Whoopie!!

I've always loved whoopie pies and for years I've been making a traditional chocolate cake one that I really love (and I promise to share that with you soon) but I think that I might now love this pumpkin version even better. The warm richness of the pumpkin cake marries perfectly with the creamy dreamy marshmallow filling. I am finding it VERY VERY hard to resist!!

These come together pretty easily--basically you put together your dry ingredients--

Mix them with the wet ingredients--

To create a batter that you spoon onto lined cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes...

Until you have lots of cute little mini-puffed up cakes on your hand.

While those are cooling, you make the marshmallow creme filling which is nothing more than butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and marshmallow Fluff beaten together until smooth and finger-swipin' good!

Assembling the sandwiches is easy. You can either use a spoon to dollop some filling on one little cake before sandwiching it with another, or if you're feeling a bit more adventurous, pipe the filling on one side before topping with another cake.

Either way, every bite is the perfect balance of creamy marshmallow-y filling and warm, mildly spiced pumpkin cake. As much as I'm dreading another winter like we had last year, the promise of these and more pumpkin-y cold-weather treats might just be enough to get me through!!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Makes about 2 dozen mini-pies

Prep Time for Cakes: 20 minutes; Bake Time: 10-12 minutes; Prep Time for Filling: 5-7 minutes; Assembly Time 10-15 minutes (less if you don't pipe the filling)

Ingredients

For the Cakes

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves (I didn't use)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I didn't use)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
1 jar marshmallow Fluff (7 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The Recipe

1. For the Cakes: Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two baking pans with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, place the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger (if using) and whisk together well. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed for about 3-4 minutes, until creamy, light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until the mixture is fully blended, scraping down the sides if needed. The mixture may look a bit curdled. It's ok. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix only until just incorporated.

4. Use a tablespoon to measure out rounded scoops of the batter and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Cook the sheets for 0-12 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking process. Cakes are done when the tops spring back when touched. Transfer to racks to cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

5. For the Filling: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the marshmallow Fluff and vanilla and beat until well combined.

6. To assemble the cakes: Place or pipe a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of one of the cakes and top with another cake. Press down slightly so that the filling gets to the edges. Repeat with remaining cakes and serve.

7. Whoopie pies can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. If you have to stack them, place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between the cakes so that they don't stick to each other.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe for the cakes adapted from Cook What You Love by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. I toyed around with the spices in the cakes. Recipe for filling adapted from Martha Stewart.