Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

If you love pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, you are going to love these.
Most people think of whoopie pies as being chocolate.
But, these as a fantastic change of pace.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease 2 or 3 cookie sheets.


Ingredients:

COOKIES-

1-1/2 cups pureed pumpkin(15 oz. can)
2 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cooking oil
2 Tbs molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups flour

In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, and molasses.
Add the salt, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
Beat in the flour.
Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they feel firm to the tough.
Take out and put on a cooling rack to cool while you make the filling.

FILLING-

1 Tbs unflavored gelatin
2 Tbs water
1/2 cup(1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup(4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs finely chopped crystallized ginger-optional, but highly recommended

Add the water and gelatin to a microwave safe bowl.
Heat in the microwave briefly on low power to dissolve the gelatin. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
Add half of the powdered sugar and beat.
Add the gelatin and mix in.
Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix til creamy.
Stir in the ginger, if using.

Spread the filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies.
Top with other half.
To store, separate layers with paper towels or wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap. Otherwise they will stick to each other.

You will get about 2 dozen whoopie pies.

The gelatin can be found with the jello or in the baking aisle.
It seems to help stabilize the filling.