Pumpkin. Ah, the cornerstone of autumn and Thanksgiving.

Before this particular baking adventure, I never consumed a whoopie pie, only oogled over them on the interwebs and bakery windows. They’re the kind of thing you see and get instantly excited over–little burger-like treats that look like a cookie, or maybe a cake? No, a cookie, definitely a cookie. But it feels like a cake…Oh, who cares. Whoopie pies are so delicious and intriguing that you’ll find yourself eating three or four before realizing the batch is nearly empty.

So instead of making the standard pumpkin pie or muffins this year, I got my baking gear out and took on whoopie pies. I actually made so many that I brought some to the office and they were gone within minutes. I think the success may be attributed to their super moist-ness and my opting for homemade marshmallow filling. (Little did they know this recipe contained absolutely no oil, as I opted for applesauce instead. Win.)

A note about the filling: the filling in the pictured whoopie pies is kind of oozing. I took the photos before I found that refrigerating the icing for 30 minutes after preparation will keep it stiff. Alas, it’s still a wonderful photo.

Here’s the recipe. If the marshmallow filling seems too complicated, you can get marshmallow fluff from the grocery store. (don’t.)

Ingredients

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets..
2.Combine the applesauce and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix well.
3.Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Shape the dough into 1-2″ rounds, depending on your desired size (they’ll expand a little during baking.) Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool complete (even refrigerate) before filling them.

For filling
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
2 cups marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff (homemade recipe below)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Make filling:

Beat together butter, confectioners sugar then add in the marshmallow fluff, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Make sure icing is stiff. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling pies.

Marshmallow Fluff
makes 2 cups
3 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar

Make a double boiler by bringing a small pot of water to a bare simmer, then place the bowl of your stand mixer, if you’ve got one, or another large stainless steel bowl atop the water. Add the egg whites and sugar, and whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is warm to the touch.

Transfer the bowl from the stovetop to your stand mixer (you’ll probably want to wipe the condensation from its bottom before securing), and use the whisk attachment to whip the liquid on medium-high speed until it turns glossy with stiff peaks, about 8 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, do the same with your electric hand mixer.

Bon appetit!

P.S. This recipe was adapted from Vonieta Stogner’s recipe. And the filling was adapted from Not Without Salt. Thank you, ladies!