Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin!!!! I'm calling it guys: it's fall. It's been decided. I'm gonna bake exclusively with pumpkin and spices, I bought 857 pumpkin scented candles and you betta' believe I've pulled out the berry lipsticks. I'm just going to completely ignore the fact that it was 87 and humid in Chi-town a few days ago.

When I brought these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Frosting for my co-workers, people lost their dang minds.  Normally my friends are really receptive too all my treats but dang, you'd think these were hotcakes because they were "selling like hotcakes" except they weren't hotcakes and I wasn't selling them.  You get what I mean.  

These were the second batch of Whoopie Pies I made in a week's time and I'm hooked now.  I think I used to have this misconception that Whoopie Pies are finicky.  I thought I needed to pipe batter onto cookie sheets and I thought they were delicate and fragile.  And while that may be true for some recipes, this recipe was totally no fuss.  I used a cookie scoop for the batter and the baked whoopie pies make a dense and moist shell for some crazy rich salted caramel frosting.

And salted caramel frosting isn't your thing, then I am very confused for you but you can always use a nice cream cheese frosting or even a maple syrup buttercream would be delightful.  So yeah, make it happen.  You do you.  Just make sure pumpkin and berry lipsticks are a part of it.  

Here's the recipe!  

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie with Salted Caramel Frosting 

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
1.  First make the caramel sauce.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Once melted, add the sugar and cream, stirring to combine.  As soon as the mixture begins bubbling, begin timing.  Allow to bubble for 2 minutes exactly.  Remove from the heat, stir in sea salt and transfer to a medium bowl, and allow to cool completely.  Set aside.  
2.  Preheat over the 350 and line a baking sheet(s) parchment or silicon mat.  Set aside.  
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.  In a large bowl, whisk together oils and sugars until combined.  Add pumpkin puree an combine.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined.  
4.  Using a cookie scoop (mine was 2 tablespoons), drop batter onto baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.  Bake about 10-12 minutes until the cookie springs bake when gently touched and begins to crack just a bit on top.  Allow to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet until transferring to wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining batter.  
5.  While cookies cool, finish the frosting.  Starting with about 1/2 cup at a time, slowly add in powdered sugar, whisking well to combine.  I used about 2 cups but use as much as little as necessary to achieve a pipe-able consistency. 
6.  To assemble, pipe frosting into the center of an upturned cookie.  Place a another cookie, flat side down, on top of the frosting and press slightly to move frosting to edges of the cookies.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  

Enjoy!  

Recipe adapted from Baker Chick