Very Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are New England’s contribution to American baking and the pumpkin versions own October. Two pillowy spiced cookies sandwiched around a billowy filling, eaten by hand, easy to pack into a lunchbox. Each one is essentially a personal-sized cake in cookie form.

The cookie batter is closer to cake than cookie dough. Brown sugar and oil keep them soft for days, and the pumpkin puree (a full cup and a half) adds moisture and structure that makes the cookies cushiony rather than crisp. Heavy spicing pulls everything together: a tablespoon and a half of cinnamon plus generous ginger and clove.

The filling is a classic whoopie pie center using shortening, powdered sugar, beaten egg whites, and flour. The flour is what sets this version apart from a basic buttercream filling. It cooks the egg whites lightly and creates a fluffy marshmallow-like texture that holds shape between cookies without weeping.

Pro Tips

• Drop batter in heaping tablespoons spaced well apart. The cookies spread during baking and merging means broken pies.
• Bake until the tops spring back lightly to a finger touch. Underbaked cookies stick to the spatula; overbaked turn dry.
• Cool cookies completely before filling. Warm cookies melt the filling and the sandwich slides apart.
• Store in airtight containers between layers of parchment to prevent sticking.

Variations

• Add a quarter cup of mini chocolate chips to the cookie batter for a chocolate-pumpkin combo.
• Swap the filling for cream cheese frosting if you prefer tangy over fluffy.
• Stir half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter for textural crunch.