1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2½ teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature
1½ tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease cookies sheets with oil or line with parchment paper. Sift flours, soda, powder, salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream butter, sugars, the spices, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer twice to scrape down sides. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending about 10 seconds after each addition. Add the molasses and pumpkin and mix about 10 seconds until blended. Scrape the bowl and add the buttermilk and beat for 5 seconds.
Fold in the flour mixture by hand, the beat on low for about 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds until smooth and velvety. Drop the batter by generous rounded tablespoons (or use small ice-cream scoop) about 2 inches apart. Bake about 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
5 heaping tablespoons Fluff
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and beat on low speed until all the sugar is absorbed. Scrape bowl down and then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Sandwich the whoopie pies with the filling, about 2 generous tablespoons for each pie. Makes about 14 pies.
– Recipe courtesy of Cook Like James