Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes

I had some pumpkin left over from a recipe (one that failed but we won't go there) so I wanted to use it up. The boys went to Cole's best friends house to watch the football game while I did a few things around the house. I decided to bring a sweet treat with me when I picked them up, they had a large group of friends over so I had to share!\

I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes on 3 Boys Unproccessed a while back and wanted to make them. They were very big hit with the party guest. The host who does not like pumpkin said they were so delicious and only tasted the ginger. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat white flour 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup organic brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter or 1 stick
• 1 can pumpkin puree standard 15 oz. size
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup yogurt I used greek
• 16 ounces full fat cream cheese for icing
• 1/2 cup organic sugar for icing
• 1 cup organic 10x sugar for icing
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for icing
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract for icing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together all dry ingredients including flour, leavening agents, salt, spices, and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix together all wet ingredients including melted butter, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and yogurt. *Yogurt is added for extra moisture and puffiness, so I would recommend using it. 
3. Sprinkle dry ingredients over wet, mix just to combine. Batter will be thick. Divide batter into 14 lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean. 
4. For cream cheese filling: Beat softened cream cheese until very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl several times to ensure all lumps are out. Add sugar, and beat until smooth. 
5. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to finish. 
6. To assemble: Cut the top off of each cupcake (make sure they are cooled or you will end up with a mess) with a serrated knife. Pipe a layer of filling, then top with cupcake top, and pipe another layer of filling. Dust with powdered sugar to finish. 

ALEXIS NOTES: One thing I learned is this is a dense cupcake so don't do the rule of filling only 3/4 of the way before baking. Fill them to the brim so you will get a nice bit to be able to cut off the top. Also my frosting was a bit runny so I added 2 more cups of powder sugar that helped firm it up but wasn't as airy looking as her's. I had some paper straw's left over and used those as decoration.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Recap of the 4th of July Food

We did our annual fourth of July party this year and I had to make some yummy treats.  I had my die hards show up this year, but sadly most of our friends were away or could not make it.  I was left with a ton of food, which my dear friend took over to the neighbor's party to share.  I keep telling myself I need to not do so much, but I can't seem to help myself .. lol.

So a quick round up of some food I made, for our small get together ... lol (small doesn't even cover it compared to past year .. yes I'm working on getting over it ...hehe).

RED, WHITE & BLUE WHOOPIE PIES:

Red White and Blue Whoopie Pies found on Ambrosia Baking (I also made a 2nd batch that I took to the staff / volunteers at The Boys and Girls Club).  I got so many compliments on these cookies from them!

Ingredients

For the Whoopie Pies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken
red and blue food coloring (I used Wilton gel colors)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  

In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract.  Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture, making sure to beat after each addition (I just did 1/2 of the flour mixture, followed by all of the buttermilk, and then the remaining half of the flour mixture).  Beat only until just combined.

Evenly divide the cookie batter into two bowls.  Add red food coloring to one bowl, and blue food coloring to the other bowl.  Mix the food coloring into the cookie batter until it is evenly mixed and the cookie batter reaches the desired shade of color.  

While the cookies are baking and cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract, and beat on high speed (start on low speed first and then increase the speed, otherwise you'll have a mess of sugar all over your kitchen!) until the frosting comes together and is completely smooth.  

To assemble the whoopie pies, simply spread a little cream cheese frosting onto the bottom side of a cookie, and top it with a cookie of the opposite color.  I decided to pipe the frosting onto the cookies with a large open star tip, but spreading the frosting on is totally fine as well.  If the cream cheese frosting seems a bit too runny to spread, simply let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.  Once all the whoopie pies have been assembled, store them in the fridge until ready to serve, and allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating. 

ALEXIS NOTE: I found when I did the second batch I didn't do the drop method I pipped them as circles to keep their form.  These came out a lot nicer and I had a uniformed size.  I took my circle cutter traced it onto wax paper and then pipped the dough in the circles.

FLAG CUPCAKES:

Red, White and Blue Flag cupcakes found on Reena Treats.  I loved how this turned out!  I used my basic moist white cake recipe (click for recipe) and my sturdy buttercream frosting recipe (click for recipe) using AmeriColor food coloring in Royal Blue Soft Gel and Super Red to tint the frosting.

ALEXIS NOTE: I frosted 10 white cupcakes, 10 red cupcakes and 4 blue cupcakes.  On the blue I added some white stars I had (sprinkles in several colors in the shape of a star, I picked the white ones out).

BALD EAGLE BROWNIES:

Bald Eagle Brownies found on Hoopla Palooza.  These were perfect since my parents have a mom and dad set of bald eagle's that live in their tree with their babies.

Brownie Pop Silicone Mold (Found mine at Michael's)

Box Brownie Mix

White Wilton Melts

Orange Mini Starburst

Wilton Candy Eye's

I use a box brownie instead of scratch to help things go faster for me.  I wish I would have planned this a head of time and would have bought the set from Amazon got 2 silicone molds for almost the price I paid for one.  I was able to get 16 brownie's out of the one box mix.  I put mine in the fridge to cool them and make them ready to go in the melted Candy Melts.  I dipped the brownie's and took my knife to make look the the melt was feathers.  Before the melt dried I added 2 eyes and the mini starburst that was cut in half to look like the beak.  I kept mine in the fridge until it was time to pack my car to head to the lake.

WATERMELON RICE KRISPY TREATS:

Watermelon Rice Crispy Treats found on Gingerly Made. I did this even though it's not a red, white and blue themed but it fit the time of year.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Butter, divided
1 bag (10 oz) Marshmallows, divided
6 cups Rice Krispies, divided
Red & Green Food Coloring
Chocolate Chips

Spread out a sheet of wax paper on your counter and set the side of a spring form pan on top. You won't need the bottom portion of the spring form pan. Over at the stove, slowly melt 1.5 tablespoons butter & half the bag of marshmallows. Add 15 drops green food coloring. Combine with 3 cups rice krispies.

Spoon the green rice krispies into your spring form pan in a circle. It almost looks like a wreath. I used an additional sheet of wax paper to help me mold the rice krispies in place with out it sticking to my hands. Wash your saucepan and repeat with the other half of the ingredients except this time you'll be making red rice krispies.

Before pouring your red rice krispies into the pan, add some chocolate chips to the bottom. Fill with red krispies. (And try not to drip any excess marshmallow mixture on your "rind" like I did.) Add more chocolate chips on top. You'll have to press these in a bit. Refrigerate. When cooled and hardened, remove and cut into slices.

ALEXIS NOTE: I kept the bottom in my spring pan to hold it on our travels.  I put the chocolate chips on the top of the red once it was patted down into the mold.

There you have it, a few simple recipes that went with our theme (yes I know I'm a nut about themes).

Hope you all had a safe 4th of July

Touch Down!!!! Whoopie Pie Football Cookies

For Cole's second game I wanted to do another fun football themed cookie.  I found this really cool idea for Whoopie Pie Football Cookies on Alice in the Kitchen.  The cookies came out super cute, the marshmallow fluff inside I must say wasn't my favorite it was too gooey.  I know it's technically correct but I like when I have used buttercream frosting.  Patty at Broken Teepee gave me the suggestion of a 7 minute frosting, which I will try next time.

So they weren't gorgeous but they still looked yummy and the kids loved them!

I started with a Whoopie Pie Recipe found on Epicurious. 

For cakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg

For filling

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Make filling:
Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Once I made the whoopie pie dough I took my football cookie cutter and traced it onto wax paper and the pipped the dough into the football shape (yes it looks a little like dog doo, but I promise not at all like it ... hehe). 

The cookies came together a little gooey but super yummy I was told!  I will work on perfecting these but I must say I think pretty darn cute if I must say so myself!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.