Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
The classic gingerbread cookie is reinvented with the most luscious, most decadent lemon cream cheese filling!
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup molasses
- ¾ cup buttermilk
For the lemon cream cheese filling
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in egg until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add molasses, buttermilk and dry ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
- Drop tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until edges are golden brown but center is still moist, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, beating just until incorporated. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- To assemble the whoopie pies, divide the filling among half the cookies, spreading out to the edges, then top with remaining cookies.