Pumpkin whoopie pies

The end of the year calls for some cleaning and organizing.

That's exactly what I have been doing lately.  I'm breaking up with everyone and everything that doesn't serve me in a positive way.

I am letting go. 

I am distancing myself from people who don't have a positive impact on me.  People who don't appreciate me, insult me, are negative, angry and don't make me smile.

 I threw away old makeup, I think I got rid of like 15 lipsticks and lip glosses. I'm currently going through my freezer and cooking stuff that has been in there for God knows how long. I got rid of a lot of my clothes a while ago. The same goes for other junk that was just floating in my flat for no reason at all. I'm ticking off things that were forever waiting on my to do lists. I'm organizing files on my phone and computer.

I want to start 2019 without unnecessary baggage.

DAMN IT, IT FEELS GOOD!!

Recipe from: Food folks and fun

The Recipe

Ingredients

FOR PUMPKIN COOKIES:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2½ Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups chilled pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

3 cups powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkles or jimmies for garnish, optional

Get Ingredients Powered by Chicory

Instructions

TO MAKE PUMPKIN COOKIES:

Move oven rack to middle positions, and preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined and no flour streaks remain.

Use a cookie scoop with a 1.5-2 tablespoons capacity to drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Baking 1 cookie sheet at a time, bake 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

TO MAKE FROSTING:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Add powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat filling or it will thin out. If you feel filling is too loose, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling onto flat side of overturned cookies. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of filling. Press down slightly so that filling spreads to cookie edges. Repeat until all cookies are used. If you’re using sprinkles to garnish, hold each whoopie pie in your hand and sprinkle the garnish in the crack of the whoopie pie and turn until all exposed frosting is covered. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.