Hi there! I have a request. Actually…it’s more like a favor.
I know this weekend you probably have some important things to do like errands or laundry or studying or organizing some closet you’ve been putting off.
I think you should blow it off. Yes, I’m telling you to be irresponsible.
Here’s the thing: we work too much, we run too many errands, we have too many to-do lists. Me included. But sometimes we have to put our foot down and choose fun. We gotta show our responsibilities who’s in charge in this relationship. And guess what…you are.
So I say choose fun. Just this once.
There are simply too many parks to visit, meals to share, books to quietly read, new friends to meet…and memories to make.
There’s too much life to live. Laundry can wait. It’ll get done…sometime.
And that bill that needs to get paid…it can wait, too. Nothing that bad will happen. Sure you’re lights might turn off…but how fun would it be to have dinner by candlelight?!
Mainly, I just want you to take a break in your busy lives and make these cookies.
Aaaannnd I like advocating rebelliousness. Because sometimes it’s fun.
Can I tell you about these cookies?
These cookies are also sort of rebellious because they’re not like normal cookies at all. They’re actually more like cakes.
Mini cake sandwiches with cream cheese icing in the middle. The consistency is more like a moist carrot cake situation…but with pumpkin!! Whaaaa!!!
Sure, I guess someone could call them whoopie pies…but I hate that word whoopie. So that’s not happening here. I’m sticking with mini cake sandwiches.
They’re soft and delightful. Not overly sweet. And those little pumpkin seeds that I added on top, thinking they’d only just make them a little cuter, actually added a nice little crunch.
So ignore your stupid to-do list and make some cookies…and share ’em with someone you like.
Love,
The girl with lots of laundry to do
Soft Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies
Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of pure pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/4 cups butter, softened
4 ounces, cream cheese, softened
1 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix and set aside.
In another medium bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and softened butter until combined and blended. Add the egg, vanilla extract, pumpkin and beat until smooth.
Grab a spatula or wooden spoon, and in two batches, gradually mix in flour mixture, until thoroughly combined.
Using a stainless-steel ice cream scoop (with one of those hand releases), drop the cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet, being sure to leave room for the dough to spread. If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, you could also drop the dough using two teaspoons.
Sprinkle 3 or 4 pumpkin seeds on the top of the cookies for decoration. I tried to put them in a trio just for appearance purposes. (This is totally optional.)
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown. They should still be soft to the touch. Carefully transfer to a rack to cool completely.
For the icing:
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until completely smooth.
Assembly:
Flip half of the cookies upside down. Using a butter knife, dollop one teaspoon of the icing in the center of each upside down cookie. Smooth it around with your knife until the icing just reaches the edges. Top with another cookie and gently press the two cookies together.
Cookies should be stores in an airtight container and will be moist and delicious for up to 2 days.
Yields about 12 sandwich cookies
Literally just made these!
Amazing, delicious, tasted like autumn in a sandwich! 🙂
hey adrianna, your recipes are amazing! i’m an amateur with no money (and hence want to use what i already have…) and all i have is self-raising flour, not all-purpose flour! =/ could i still use it, and take out the baking powder and salt or something like that? 😀
Hi Priyanca, Okay, so I’ve never used self-rising flour, but I did some research and the ratio goes like this (for self-rising): 1 cup of AP has 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt.
For this recipe (with its 2 1/2 cups of AP flour), I’d recommend leaving out the baking powder and salt (still include the baking soda). It’s not an even exchange, they may be a little bit more puffy than in the picture above but, in theory, they should work. Wish you lived nearby, I’d just lend you some flour! 🙂 Good luck! xo
Hey Adrianna, I finally got round to making these with that same old bag of self-raising flour, and used your recommendation – they worked perfectly! Thanks so much 😀 appreciate it heaps. Haha sadly, I live across the continent from you – but that’s kinda cool right, you’re famous! Thanks again!
I baked these yesterday. I misread 1 cup of Pumpkin and instead added a whole can. I thought for sure they wouldn’t turn out but it was either toss em or try em. So I stuck them in the oven and let me tell you, these sweet little darlings were amazing and I’m already planning on making them again. So good. Thanks for sharing!
P.S. I love your photography!
YAY! So glad they still worked. Shocked, but happy nonetheless! x
Thanks for putting this together. One of our CS reps walked into the office yesterday with these in individual bags, loved it so much we made a fresh batch today for lunch!
I made these yesterday evening- what a way to end a perfect weekend! Fan-FREAKING-TABULOUS! And, I have to admit, they made for an even better Monday morning when I ate one for breakfast. Oh, and I polished one off after my dinner tonight for dessert too! I miiiight be overindulging, so I’m taking the rest to work tomorrow 🙁 BUT, this recipe is going into my repeat-offender file! THANKS!!!
Yay! This makes me super happy.
I made these, and they taste AMAZING! I only wish the cookies would have spread a little more, so that the final “sandwich” product was a little thinner. Once I put them together, mine were a little more ball-shaped than yours. I thought, maybe add some milk to thin the batter next time…but I don’t want to disturb the deliciousness! Oh well, I guess there are worse things than ball-shaped sandwich cookies. Thanks!!
These little sandwiches look so delicious! I think you’ve inspired me to delay working out to make these cookies!
those look incredibly delicious…if only it weren’t like 9 o clock and i had pumkin puree because i want onnnneee….
sounds like a plan for tommorow.
I had a girl date with one of my friends on Saturday and we made these. They were fantastic! The only change I would have made was to half the recipe, or have a least 4 people to eat them. 🙂
They are delicious!
(As I can’t tolerate that much dairy I subbed soy-cream-cheese for frosting, it worked pretty well. Next time I’ll soften the butter, but keep the soy-cream-cheese in the fridge until the last minute, to help it stay firm.)
These kill me. I think they’re the perfect treat to put off everything “seemingly” important and head straight to the kitchen. Shaun’s birthday is coming up, I think he’d love these!
Making the whoopie pies right now. It’s a chilly, gray, misty PacNW afternoon and I just did some Bikram yoga, walked my puppers and now baking….love it! Thanks much for the suggestions!!
That’s good life stuff right there! xo
What do you do with them after you make them?
I’ll either half a recipe or take it to my friends. It’s usually the latter. 🙂
I loved this blog post so freaking much. There are few things I love more than to put off important responsibilities through baking and this post has just encouraged it. Plus those sandwich cookies (the word “whoopie” bugs me, too) look so yummy!
this makes me want to make an Oatmeal Cream Pie! I think i’ll do that for my blog! I really need to find a soft Oatmeal cookie Recipe! Like uber soft!