Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Question: What do you do when it's time to decorate for Christmas and you're a newlywed in a new home with no decor?  Answer: Host a craft night!  Invite your craftiest ladies, tell them to start scouring Pinterest for ideas, and beg them to leave at least one of their crafts behind to help you start your Christmas decoration collection.  It was such a fun night, and a much better way of getting decorations than hitting up Wal-Mart.  Now all my holiday decor means a lot more to me than it would have if I bought it.  I know this post is a month too late, but keep it in mind in the future if you know a new homeowner next Christmas time :)

Now, let's get to the food.  Obviously I have to feed these people!  I had chips and other snack things like that, including my taco dip, decorating it with tortilla chips I made by cutting Christmas-themed cookie cutter shapes out of tortillas.  Then I also decided to make them something sweet, and I settled on these gingerbread whoopie pies.  Because, everyone likes gingerbread, and everyone likes whoopie pies, so why not?!

These whoopie pies are made from spiced ginger cookies, which would be delicious all on their own, with their cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger.  But then you sandwich two of them together with a buttercream frosting in between.  They were gobbled up quite happily by my crafting friends and family.

Some of the party goods!

It was a perfect deal; I made snacks and whoopie pies, and they made me paintings, wreaths, candle holders, and ornaments.  Thanks, girls :)

Recipe:

gingerbread whoopie pies
from Diethood
makes 20 small pies or 10-12 large pies

Ingredients:
for cookies:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
for filling:
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.  Set aside.

3) In bowl of stand mixer, combine the shortening, butter, and brown sugar.  Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Add the egg.  Beat until incorporated.

4) Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine.  Mix in the molasses.  Then add the remaining dry ingredients and the buttermilk.

5) Using a spoon, drop 1 tablespoon of dough, leaving 2 inches in between, on the prepared baking sheets.  For bigger cookies, scoop out 1/4-cup of dough.

6) Bake the cookies for 12 - 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookie comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place the pan on a rack to cool completely.

7) In the meantime, make the filling.  Beat the butter with mixer on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue to mix on low until combined.

8) Pour in the milk and vanilla, and beat on high until you reach desired consistency.  Add more milk if necessary.

9) Spread frosting onto cooled whoopie pie and place another cookie on top, and sandwich together.