Yay, it’s December! The month I have been patiently waiting for. I can finally indulge in listening to Christmas music, consuming eggnog and other holiday treats, and decorating! I am SO excited. This year, I am really looking forward to actually decorating the house. We finally have a house large enough with enough surfaces that I can do more than just string up a few christmas lights. I have been perusing Pinterest, looking for craft ideas to make with the kids. Salt dough and cinnamon ornaments are on the the top of my to-do list. As well as sewing little christmas trees with scraps of fabric, to serve as garlands. Yes, I am excited.
The first holiday treat I wanted to share with you all, are these delicious and cute mini ginger whoopie pies. They are like gingerbreads with spoon-licking good cream cheese frosting. And did I mention they are mini? The perfect bite-sized treat. So you don’t feel as guilty eating multiple, right? They are the perfect combination of sweet, rich and delicious. And since they are so little, you don’t get the stomachache feeling of too much sweet halfway through. My husband, of all people, complains about that with regular sized whoopie pies. He’s crazy. These are the perfect treat to bring in the holiday baking!
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
Mini Ginger Whoopie Pies
These tender little cake cookies are the perfect mini dessert. With a creamy filling and warm spices in the cookie, they are great for the Fall.
Ingredients
For the sandwiches
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 6 Tablespoons molasses
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or plain whole-milk yogurt
For the filling
- 1-2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the whoopie pies; preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with silpat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl. On low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients. Mix in the molasses, then the rest of the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk. Mix until completely combined. Drop the batter by the teaspoonfuls on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes, or until puffy and just set in the middle. Let cool on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to cooling racks until to cool completely.
- To make the filling; in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add more confectioners' sugar to taste.
- To assemble the whoopie pies; spread a small amount of filling on the flat side of half of the whoopie pies, then top with the second half. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, then serve.
Notes
These can be kept in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
