At ICE, weāre falling for fall. The cozy knits, the bounty of apples, the fall-spiced beverages and, of course, the pumpkinsāwhatās not to love? The below pumpkin-centric dessert comes from chef and cookbook author , who will be teaching the upcoming recreational baking course, , at ICE. The kitchen classrooms, which are outfitted with ovens, are the perfect playgrounds for recreational cooking and baking.
Says Chef Melanie, āBlueStar ovens are beautiful and they work great in home kitchens.ā Students in Chef Melanieās autumnal baking course will try their hand at this recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies. āPumpkin and maple are two of my favorite autumn flavors and they pair wonderfully with this fun, easy dessert that both kids and adults love,ā says Chef Melanie.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Servings: makes about 30 2-inch pies
Ingredients:
- 1 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Ā¼ sticks (5 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- Ā¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purƩe
- 2 cups filling (see recipe below)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375Āŗ F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy (on medium speed, about 5-10 minutes).
- Add the eggs one at time and mix until combined.
- Turn off mixer, add ā of the dry ingredients and mix on low until mixture comes together. Add Ā½ of the pumpkin purĆ©e and mix until combined. Repeat with remaining flour and pumpkin, ending with the last ā of flour.
- With an ice cream scoop, scoop mixture (about 2 to 4 tablespoons, depending on the size you like) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes (when done, they should spring back when lightly touched).
- After the ācookiesā cool, spread or pipe the filling on the flat surface of one cookie and top with another cookie, pressing together lightly.
For the filling
Yield: about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- Ā½ stick butter (2 ounces), room temperature
- 1 Ā½ cups confectionersā sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Using an electronic mixer with a paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients together and mix until smooth and creamy.
to register and check out all of the cooking and baking classes at ICE this fall.
