GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES with ORANGE CREAM FILLING

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Whoopie Pies are two cake like cookies with a creamy filling sandwiched between them.  I first came across them in the Amish area of Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  These cookies come in all flavors and sizes.  Most commonly found are chocolate ones with a vanilla cream or marshmallow filling and oatmeal with marshmallow filling, but nowadays you can find them in a large variety of flavors.  Most are large, about 4” across, but many are small, about 2” across.  This time I made small pumpkin flavored ones to be in keeping with this autumn season.  

     I converted a wheat recipe into gluten free one by changing the flours, adding some xanthan gum and adjusting the leavening.  I find that orange pairs well with pumpkin so I used orange cream filling, but you can use vanilla or marshmallow if you like.

     I made these by mixing them by hand, not with the stand mixer and they came out just as fluffy.

     The pumpkin cake is moist and delicately spiced.  The orange filling gives it brightness and adds just the perfect level of sweetness.  Scrumptious!

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

WITH ORANGE CREAM FILLING

Makes about 4 dozen 2” cookie sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

COOKIE CAKE

DRY

1 ½ cups	Sorghum Flour
1 cup	Tapioca Starch
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
¼ cup	Coconut Flour
¾ tsp	Xanthan Gum
1 tsp	Cinnamon
½ tsp	Ginger - dry ground
¼ tsp	Cloves
½ tsp	Sea Salt
1 ½ tsp	Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp	Baking Powder
1 ½ cups	Brown Sugar

WET

2 cups	Canned Pumpkin
2 large	Eggs
1 cup	Oil - light tasting such as sunflower or canola
1 tsp	Vanilla Extract

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

1 cup	Shortening - non-hydrogenated such as Spectrum brand.
14 oz	Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar
2 tsp	Vanilla Extract
2 tsp	Orange Extract
2 Tbs. (add extra milk as needed, a tsp at a time, if needed, to achieve a light and fluffy consistency)	Milk - for Dairy Free use non-dairy milk of choice

DIRECTIONS

CAKE

1)    Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads. 

2)    In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well.

Dry ingredients well mixed.

3)    In a medium bowl add all the wet ingredients and mix.

Wet ingredients.

4)    Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

5)    Using a scoop that measures 1½” across, scoop out the batter 2” apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Raw batter scooped out onto a lined baking sheet.

6)    Bake for 10-14 minutes (cooking time will vary according to your oven, my oven is very accurate and it took 12 minutes).  Cookies are done when the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Baked cookies.

7)    Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely.

8)    Repeat steps 5-7 until all the batter is used up.

FILLING

1)     Add the entire ingredient to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix with a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of the stand mixer until well combined and light and fluffy.

ASSEMBLING THE COOKIES

1)    Turn half of the cookies over so that the flat side faces up. Spread some filling on the flat side of the cookies.

Putting filling on the flat sides of half of the cookies.

2)    Place an unfrosted cookie on top of each frosted cookie.  The flat sides of both cookies should be facing each other.

What the inside of the whoopie pie looks like.

3)    Keep tightly covered until serving to prevent them from drying out.  For later use, individually wrap each Whoopie Pie in plastic wrap to keep them moist and fresh.  Individually wrapped WhoopIe Pies can be frozen and then thawed for about 30 minutes at room temperature when ready to use.

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES Makes about 4 dozen 2” cookie sandwiches GlutenFreeBakingBear.com INGREDIENTS COOKIE CAKE DRY 1 ½ cups Sorghum Flour 1 cup Tapioca Starch ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ¼ cup Coconut Flour ¾ tsp Xanthan Gum 1 tsp Cinnamon ½ tsp Ginger - dry ground ¼ tsp Cloves ½ tsp Sea Salt 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar WET 2 cups Canned Pumpkin 2 large Eggs 1 cup Oil - light tasting such as sunflower or canola 1 tsp Vanilla Extract INGREDIENTS FILLING 1 cup Shortening - non hydrogenated such as Spectrum brand. 14 oz Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 tsp Orange Extract 2 Tbs. (add extra milk as needed, a tsp at a time, if needed, to achieve a light and fluffy consistency) Milk - for Dairy Free use non-dairy milk of choice DIRECTIONS CAKE 1) Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads. 2) In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well. 3) In a medium bowl add all the wet ingredients and mix. 4) Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. 5) Using a scoop that measures 1½” across, scoop out the batter 2” apart on the prepared baking sheets. 6) Bake for 10-14 minutes (cooking time will vary according to your oven, my oven is very accurate and it took 12 minutes). Cookies are done when the top springs back when lightly pressed. 7) Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely. 8) Repeat steps 5-7 until all the batter is used up. FILLING 1) Add all the ingredient to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of the stand mixer until well combined and light and fluffy. ASSEMBLING THE COOKIES 1) Turn half of the cookies over so that the flat side faces up. Spread some filling on the flat side of the cookies. 2) Place an unfrosted cookie on top of each frosted cookie. The flat sides of both cookies should be facing each other. 3) Keep tightly covered until serving to prevent them from drying out. For later use, individually wrap each Whoopie Pie in plastic wrap to keep them moist and fresh. Individually wrapped WhoopIe Pies can be frozen and then thawed for about 30 minutes at room temperature when ready to use.

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN SPICE TRIFLE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     This is delicious, but I have been hesitant to post the recipe because the photos did not come out well.  My camera accidentally got wet on the kitchen counter and I have been taking photos with my phone.  The phone photos are too small to really see until I upload them to the computer and by then it’s too late to retake them.  I am posting this anyway, but please forgive the food shots. 

     This trifle is made of zucchini bread and pumpkin pudding layered in a glass to look pretty and tempting and topped off with a dollop of whipped cream.  OMG the pudding and cake make a divine mouthful of delectable creaminess.  

     The zucchini cake I used was a repurposing of a vegan version of the recipe.  Let me just say that the vegan version still needs some work.  The vegan cake tasted delicious, but the texture was a bit too wet and dense.  I thought that it would be perfect in a trifle and decided to make a pumpkin pudding to go with the left over vegan zucchini cake.  I think that any spice cake would work with the pumpkin pudding: zucchini, carrot, gingerbread, spice,  pumpkin spice or even sweet potato cake.

   

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN SPICE TRIFLE

Makes enough for 6 half cup sized trifles.

INGREDIENTS

PUDDING

2 cups	Milk
6 Tbs.	Brown Sugar
2 large	Eggs
¼ cup	Corn Starch
1 cup	Canned Pumpkin
¼ tsp.	Sea Salt
½ tsp.	Cinnamon
¼ tsp.	Ginger
⅛ tsp.	Cloves

DIRECTIONS

PUDDING

1)    In a saucepan, add the milk and ¼ cup of sugar and bring to a boil.

2)    While the milk is coming to a boil:  In a bowl add the rest of the sugar, the corn starch, sea salt and spices and mix well.  Add the eggs and stir together.

3)    Add ½ cup of the boiling milk to the egg and cornstarch mixture and stir. Add another ½ cup and stir.

4)    Add the egg mixture to the boiling milk and whisk together, stirring constantly until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens.  This should take about 4 minutes.

5)    Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

Pudding in the pot, all cooked and cooled.

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes one 6” tube cake or one 8x4” loaf

(This recipe is perfect for trifle, but is not perfected as a plain sliced cake yet.  I am including it since it was the cake that I used to make the trifle that had such a wonderful taste and texture. Feel free to use any spice cake of your choice or see links to some of my recipes in post above.)

INGREDIENTS

DRY

¾ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Coconut Flour
¾ tsp.	Cinnamon
½ tsp.	Xanthan Gum
½ tsp.	Sea Salt
¼ tsp.	Baking Powder
1 cup	Sugar

WET

¼ cup	Oil - light like sunflower or canola
¼ cup	Applesauce
1 ½ tsp.	Vanilla
2 egg substitutes	I used: ½ cup water + 2 tsp. oil + ⅛ tsp. xantan gum + ¼ tsp. baking soda + 2 Tbs. corn starch
1 cup	Zucchini - grated

OPTIONAL

¼ cup	Walnuts or Pecans - chopped
½ tsp.	Tapioca Starch

DIRECTIONS

CAKE
(see my Zucchini Bread recipe for step by step photos)

1)    Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Prepare a 6” tube pan by lining it with foil and oiling it. If using a loaf pan line it with parchment paper.

2)    Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together until well mixed.

3)    In a small bowl add the egg substitute ingredients and mix together until frothy.

4)    Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and egg substitute to the dry ingredients and mix together.

5)    Add the zucchini and mix in.

6)    (optional) In a small bowl add the chopped nuts and ½ tsp. tapioca starch and mix together.  Add to the batter and stir in.

DIRECTIONS

ASSEMBLING THE TRIFLE

1)    Place some pudding on the bottom of a small parfait or glass cup.

Pudding on the bottom of a clear glass cup.

2)    Crumble some cake over the pudding.

Vegan zucchini bread crumbled on top of the pudding.

3)    Top with enough pudding to cover the top and fill cup to desired level.

Cake covered with pumpkin pudding.

4)    Place a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Trifle topped with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

5)    Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

6)    Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

7)    Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN SPICE TRIFLE GlutenFreeBakingBear.com Makes enough for 6 half cup sized trifles. INGREDIENTS PUDDING 2 cups Milk 6 Tbs. Brown Sugar 2 large Eggs ¼ cup Corn Starch 1 cup Canned Pumpkin ¼ tsp. Sea Salt ½ tsp. Cinnamon ¼ tsp. Ginger ⅛ tsp. Cloves DIRECTIONS PUDDING 1) In a saucepan, add the milk and ¼ cup of sugar and bring to a boil. 2) While the milk is coming to a boil: In a bowl add the rest of the sugar, the corn starch, sea salt and spices and mix well. Add the eggs and stir together. 3) Add ½ cup of the boiling milk to the egg and cornstarch mixture and stir. Add another ½ cup and stir. 4) Add the egg mixture to the boiling milk and whisk together, stirring constantly until the mixture returns to a boil and thickens. This should take about 4 minutes. 5) Remove from the heat and allow to cool. VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD Makes one 6” tube cake or one 8x4” loaf (This recipe is perfect for trifle, but is not perfected as a plain sliced cake yet. I am including it since it was the cake that I used to make the trifle that had such a wonderful taste and texture.) INGREDIENTS DRY ¾ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Coconut Flour ¾ tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum ½ tsp. Sea Salt ¼ tsp. Baking Powder 1 cup Sugar WET ¼ cup Oil - light like sunflower or canola ¼ cup Applesauce 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla 2 egg substitutes I used: ½ cup water + 2 tsp. oil + ⅛ tsp. xantan gum + ¼ tsp. baking soda + 2 Tbs. corn starch 1 cup Zucchini - grated OPTIONAL ¼ cup Walnuts or Pecans - chopped ½ tsp. Tapioca Starch DIRECITONS CAKE 1) Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a 6” tube pan by lining it with foil and oiling it. If using a loaf pan line it with parchment paper. 2) Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together until well mixed. 3) In a small bowl add the egg substitute ingredients and mix together until frothy. 4) Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and egg substitute to the dry ingredients and mix together. 5) Add the zucchini and mix in. 6) (optional) In a small bowl add the chopped nuts and ½ tsp. tapioca starch and mix together. Add to the batter and stir in. DIRECTIONS ASSEMBLING THE TRIFLE 1) Place some pudding on the bottom of a small parfait or glass cup. 2) Crumble some cake over the pudding. 3) Top with enough pudding to cover the top and fill cup to desired level. 4) Place a dollop of whipped cream on top. 5) Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. 6) Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 7) Enjoy!