Whoa, Friday! It’s nice to see you!

If you’re at all like me, by the time the end of the week rolls around, the prospect of spending some leisurely hours in the kitchen sounds divine. Trying a new recipe or two, slow roasting some meat, simmering a big batch of chili—the weekend’s a great time to just mess around, no rushing necessary. If I wasn’t so busy with this, I’d love to spend a chill afternoon, baking up a batch of these. I hope you all have wonderful Fridays!

xo,

Meghan

Making Whoopie (Pies), With Making Electricity’s Lisa

Hello wonderful readers! This is Lisa from Making Electricity and I am so happy to be blogging for Meghan while she is working her tush off to get ready for Mighty Swell—I’ll be bright and early that Saturday morning and I hope to meet some of you local ladies there!

I know that fall has come and gone, but I am still in the thick of my love affair with pumpkin-centric foods. With holiday party season upon us, I thought I would share a recipe for some delicious treats that are super easy to make—perfect for your own party or to bring as a hostess gift—as an extra perk, your home will be warm, cozy and smell like pumpkin cake when you are done make these.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

♥ For the Whoopie Pies ♥

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

♥ For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling ♥
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

♥ How to Make ♥

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

4. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

6. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.

7. To assemble the pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.

And, since this is High Plains Thrifter, after all, I thought I’d also share this gorgeous vintage Pyrex casserole dish (with carrier) that I scored at my favorite Salvation Army for 99 cents!

Yummy desserts and beautiful kitchenware—life doesn’t get much better in my opinion. Have a fabulous holiday season, readers!

Best best,

Lisa