From Chef Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

Makes about 2 dozen 2 inch pies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (1 stick) soft butter
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin (Ensure only pumpkin is listed in ingredients – don’t use pie filling)
• 2 1/3 cups Oonagh’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• 1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper or non-stick liner.
2. Beat together butter, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla for about 3 minutes. Beat until lighter in color and fluffier. The mix will still look slightly grainy. Scrape down sides.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until fluffier.
4. Gently beat in pumpkin.
5. Add flour, xanthan gum and the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing well. The mix will start to thicken because of xanthan gum and baking powder.
6. Use a 2 tablespoon scoop or a rounded tablespoon quantity to drop batter onto prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each scoop.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 18 – 20 minutes until cookies feel firm, but are still soft. When you think they are cooked, give them about 3 more minutes. I found they have a tendency to deflate if not cooked enough.
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Filling Ingredients:

• 8 oz. package of soft cream cheese (light is fine)
• 2 cups powdered/icing sugar
• 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
• ¼ cup diced crystallized ginger (optional)
• 2-4 Tbsp. heavy cream (optional)

Filling Directions:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until very smooth and creamy.
2. Sandwich two cookies together with 2 tablespoons cream cheese filling.

Tip from Oonagh:

You can overfill the whoopie pies with filling and roll them in Halloween sprinkles or take a single cookie, top with some filling as a frosting and decorate with various gluten-free Halloween candy or toppings.