FLUFFY PUMPKIN-SPICE WHOOPIE PIES RECIPE

With Thanksgiving coming up before we know it, we decided to whip up the perfect dessert. These pumpkin-spice whoopie pies are delicious and easy. Plus, the frosting adds a creamy and sweet filling that just can’t be beat! We love that nothing else tastes like Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and we don’t feel guilty about eating it because it’s made with fresh milk and real cream! Philadelphia Cream Cheese is made with no preservatives, and the filling tastes rich and fresh.

We all know that anything pumpkin spice is a winner this season, and these whoopie pies are definitely not an exception. You can easily spruce up these cute pies by setting out caramel sauce to drizzle on top. For a bonus, we love that these will make your house smell amazing while they are baking! Nothing says fall like pumpkin-spice whoopie pies.

These pies are perfect for any holiday party, so get creative with your setup! You can easily make a small tower, use the pies as place settings with a small name card, or wrap them individually as little party favors. With Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the flavor is one of a kind, and your guests will no doubt be begging for your secret! Check out the yummy recipe below:

FLUFFY PUMPKIN-SPICE WHOOPIE PIES

The recipe makes 10-12 whoopie pies.

Whoopie cakes:

• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 29-ounce can, or roughly 3 cups, of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream-cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces (1 brick) Philadelphia cream cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• Pinch of ground clove

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together the following ingredients until well combined: salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, clove, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar and oil until uniform, then add pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla extract, and mix.
4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, adding a little flour at at a time, until uniform.
5. Scoop mixture with an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick
into pie; it should come out clean, otherwise continue to bake until done.
6. Make cream-cheese frosting: Put powdered sugar in large bowl, and set aside. In your mixer, beat room-temperature butter until smooth (make sure there are no lumps), then add cream cheese, maple syrup, and bourbon, and beat until uniform. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, and beat until mixed to a smooth consistency.
7. Transfer frosting into a piping bag and cut a medium-sized hole on the end. Once cakes have cooled, add a large dollop of frosting, working in a circular motion, to each cake. Top, and push down gently to fill out center of each whoopie pie. Refrigerate for 3o minutes to an hour, and serve.

Tip: Let cakes cool slightly and serve while still warm. Nothing beats warm cookies straight from the oven!

Thanks to Philadelphia Cream Cheese for allowing me to partner with them to come up with some fun and delicious recipes! I had a blast. The pumpkin-spice whoopie pies were a huge hit-they were so yummy! Do you have any favorite holiday recipes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below. For some additional inspiration,

DESSERT // CARROT CAKE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND PECANS RECIPE

What’s better than carrot cake? Carrot cake cookies, of course! Even better, we created a PhiladelphiaCream Cheese frosting and then topped the final product with pecans. Trust us: They are even more amazing than they look. We made these cookies in the BFFF Test Kitchen and were really impressed with how easy they were!

We love using Philadelphia Cream Cheese because nothing tastes like it! It’s perfect for the cream cheese frosting that tastes so rich and creamy. Don’t worry: Philadelphia Cream Cheese is made with fresh milk, real cream, and no preservatives! Knowing this makes the frosting taste even better, in our opinion. With Christmas coming up before you know it, these carrot cake cookies are the perfect dessert to bake for your own dinner party or to take to a loved one.

Take the hassle out of the holidays with this easy and impressive Christmas recipe. This new spin on the classic carrot cake will be a huge hit no matter where you are serving them! We also love that they look so amazing with the crushed pecans on top. For those who aren’t big nut fans, you can simply refrain from adding them on top. So easy! Now that you have a go-to dessert for the holidays, you don’t have to stress when someone asks you last minute to throw something together. Check out our recipe below.

CARROT CAKE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND PECANS

Makes: 10 to 15 cookies

Cookies:

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 cup instant oats
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans + more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Frosting:

• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 8 ounce brick Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a mixer, mix the following ingredients until smooth and fluffy: 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 cup powdered sugar, 8-ounce brick Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1/4 cup room-temperature unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Beat 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and room-temperature butter until smooth.
4. Add 1 cup carrots and 1 egg to the mixture, and beat until uniform.
5. Mix in 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, pinch of nutmeg, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/4 cup oats until you get a uniform batter.
6. Using an ice cream scoop (for bigger cookies, use a full-size scoop; for smaller cookies, use a smaller scoop), drop batter on baking pan 1 inch apart.
7. Bake cookies for 20 minutes, and then cool on racks. Once cookies are cooled, spread frosting on each and top with crushed pecans and orange zest. Serve and enjoy!

Thanks to Philadelphia Cream Cheese for allowing me to partner with them to come up with some fun and delicious recipes! It was so much fun! The Carrot Cake Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting and Pecans were not only yummy, but everyone loved them! Do you have any favorite holiday recipes using Philadelphia? I’d love to hear your favorites in comments below. For some additional inspiration, click here.