The original post from November 2019
Oh yes, we are into the season of eating! Halloween was two weeks ago, and depending on your shopping and/or amount of candy your kids collected, you may still be eating candy from that night. Never mind that we are only two weeks away from Thanksgiving, and there’s a lot of food to be thinking about.
This week I’m thinking about dessert. I know, everybody and his brother/mother/etc. is thinking about what pie to make for Thanksgiving. Not me. This year I’m focused on a dessert that you wouldn’t expect to find on the dessert table- whoopie pies.
Now, I’m not a spoiler of all things traditional. Since we’re celebrating a fall holiday, I put an autumnal spin on these whoopie pies. Made of cinnamon and applesauce cakes filled with cinnamon buttercream, they’re basically apple pie in whoopie pie format.
What I like about this dessert is that it’s really pretty indulgent, which is perfect for Thanksgiving. If this holiday isn’t about indulgence, I don’t know what is. The afternoon and evening are built around eating. Think about a typical Thanksgiving gathering (or at least the ones I’ve experienced):
- Family and friends arrive: appetizers are shared.
- Some time passes: dinner is served.
- More time passes: desserts are set out.
- Even more time passes: sandwiches are made, and leftovers are reheated.
Sure, there are other activities, but none of them are the focus of the day. Eating is what this day is about, so why not embrace it fully? When you serve these whoopie pies, you are saying, “Yes, we need mini cakes filled with frosting!” Of course, I’ve also made them reasonably sized, so that you can either (A) eat other desserts or (B) not feel overly full. It’s your call.
Here’s to Thanksgiving, new desserts, and delicious eating!
Cinnamon Apple Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- Cakes
- ½ cup butter melted & cooled
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 1-1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place melted butter and brown sugar in stand mixer, and beat with paddle attachment on speed 2 until smooth.
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Add egg, mixing until fully incorporated on speed 2.
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Add applesauce, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, mixing well on speed 2.
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Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix again.
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Add flour, mixing on low; scrape sides with spatula and mix until fully blended.
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Scoop approximately 1-1/2 tablespoons batter, spaced evenly, onto prepared baking sheet.
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Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cakes spring back when touched.
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Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet.
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Transfer to baking rack to cool completely.
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In a stand mixer cream the softened butter on speed 2 for about 1 minute.
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Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla; mix on low speed until combined, adding milk a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached..
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Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cinnamon buttercream frosting.
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Top each with another cake.
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Serve or store in a sealed container.
