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.