Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Apple Cider Cream Cheese Filling

​How fun are these? I make mini whoopie pies every Halloween.

Every year I try a different flavor for the filling: cinnamon, maple, eggnog, butterscotch, bourbon [Ed. Note: HELLO.] and this year, apple cider. This may be my favorite yet.
​
The secret ingredient to this filling is boiled apple cider. If you haven't heard of bottled boiled apple cider, don't worry, I didn't either until last year. It's a good product to have in your arsenal.

Ordered it online from King Arthur Flour www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/boiled-cider-1-pint and I've used it for muffins, cookies, cakes, pie, and it makes a great glaze for meats when mixed with whole grain mustard.

King Arthur Flour describes their boiled cider as "magically capturing the intense, robust flavor of just-picked apples, preserving it in liquid form." Couldn't agree more.

​

---

Kids love them, and adults do too (have passed them around on trays of finger foods and they were the hit of the night).​

​These little mounds of goodness hold well in the fridge for up to three days. Great for make-ahead parties.

Know there are many who despise the word "moist," but I will use it here, because the cookie part is, well, moist...and flavorful. All the autumn flavors packed into one tiny little mouthful of goodness: pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and apple cider.

Adapted from: Every Day with Rachel Ray (Whoopie Pies); Marbled, Swirled, and Layered by Irvin Lin (Apple Cider Cream Cheese Filling).

Number of servings: makes approximately 12-14 whoopie pies (with tablespoon scoop) and 20 whoopie pies (with teaspoon scoop).

Ingredients
Whoopie Pies

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1  ⅔ cups flour

Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter, room temperature
• 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons boiled cider (see link above)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt

Directions
Whoopie Pies

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in flour, using a rubber spatula.
3. Using  1 tablespoon or 1 teaspoon ice-cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop 12 mounds of batter, evenly spaced, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Filling

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter. Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time (I don't like it too sweet, so start tasting at the 2 ½ cup mark and keep adding sugar until it's to your liking). Beat on low until smooth and fully combined.
2. Add boiled cider, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Beat together until frosting is smooth. If the filling is too runny, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up.

Assembly

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling into a pastry bag or a ziplock bag and snip the end.
2. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies.
3. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Happy Halloween!