Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies...need I say more?!! What a fantastic treat for October, or anytime really.  What the heck are whoopie pies, you're asking?  Well, you simply haven't lived if you haven't had one of these scrumpdelicious treats.  I found this recipe in the King Arthur Flour magazine and decided to make them for Sawyer's birthday.  (Sawyer is our neighbor who just turned 11).  I think the adults liked them as much or more than the children did.  If you like pumpkin anything you'll love these.  They have a great mixture of spices that reminds you of home.  I would suggest using fresh pumpkin.  One pie pumpkin was just enough to get the 1 1/2 cups pumpkin required for the recipe.  All you do is cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds (and save them for roasted pepitas) then bake the pumpkin cut side down at 350° for about 45 minutes, or until a fork pierces the outer skin easily.  Remove from the oven and flip over so it will cool more quickly.  Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the pumpkin and measure for your recipe.  Any leftovers can be used for smoothies, empanada filling, or whatever you like.  One note on the recipe, I used a regular sized scoop and they turned out way too big.  They spread quite a bit while baking, so use a small scoop (or just a half portion of your regular scoop), or a pastry bag and portion out so they are about 2-3 inches in diameter.  Since I was making these for children I didn't add the crystallized ginger, but I would add it if making for adults.  This recipe is a keeper!

For toasted pepitas, take pumpkin seeds you scooped out and remove the larger chunks of stringy guts.  Don't wash the seeds, though because the natural flavors from the pumpkin guts make the pepitas tasty.  Spread them out on a sheet pan and bake with the pumpkin.  They should be completely dried when done.  Then, melt some butter in a pan and add your favorite seasonings.  I used some dried cayenne pepper, a little sea salt, some freshly ground cumin and a pinch of black pepper.  Stir in the pumpkin seeds until well coated, then spread them back out onto a sheet pan and bake at 250° for about 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times during baking.  mmm...pepitas!

Pepitas

Aye-Aye-Aye-Aye...I love pepitas! I love the fall, as you've probably already learned. I love the leaves, the cool weather, warm fires on cold evenings, mums, planting bulbs, eating squash and pumpkins and Pepitas--pumpkin seeds. When scooping pumpkin for cheesecake, muffins, bread or soup I cannot bring myself to just toss out the guts, seeds and all. I have to save the seeds and then roast them for snacks, or for use in recipes. You can even use them as the nuts in a pesto recipe. Over time I've learned a couple of tricks that make them much yummier. When scooping them out of the pumpkins I put them, guts and all into a bowl and then once all the pumpkin goo is scooped out, I strain the seeds free through my hands to separate the seeds from the slimy flesh. You don't need to worry about getting them perfectly clean, as some of the gooey flesh adds flavor to the seeds. Then, soak them in salted water overnight. The next day, drain them and spread them on a sheet pan and dry them in the oven at a very low temperature until completely dried, but not shriveled up and flaky. They taste great this way, or you can store them in an airtight container until ready to use in recipes. I often make spicy pumpkin seeds by melting a couple of tbsp of butter and adding cumin, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce, then baking for about 45 minutes in a 250-275° oven, then sprinkle with coarse salt, stir and cool in the pan. These usually won't make it to storage in our house, but they make great snacks and even fun hostess gifts for the holidays. So before you toss out all those yummy seeds when carving your pumpkins, think of a fun use for them and the nutritional value as well--roughage!
Happy Carving--