Jenna's New Book Giveaway and Pumpkin Whoopee Pie Recipe

The first day of Fall was this past Saturday and when I woke up early this morning and opened my back door to let my fat cat Benny Boy in, I gasped in delight as the cool air hit me.  Cool 57 degrees with no humidity.  And in sultry Savannah, that means not only wonderful days head for all the fabulous Fall-ish foods but good hair days!  Yeah, for Autumn! 

Last Monday's post was a book giveaway for Jenna's new book.  And many of you responded pumpkin as your favorite Fall food and here is Jenna's awesome Pumpkin Whoopee Pie recipe from White Jacket Required, Culinary Coming-of-age Story.   

IPC kitchen made these babies for our Wednesday noon service lunch.  Everyone went goo-goo-ga-ga over these delectable things.  Yes, all the goodness of Fall in our mouths!  We multiplied the recipe X4 and yielded about 74 pies.  

And it's not too late to enter to win a copy of Jenna's new book, autographed of course!  Simply answer this question on the comment form below.  Three winners will be announced on Wednesday!

What is your favorite Fall food? 

Sweet potatoes? Turkey? Pot Pies? All things Pumpkin?

• Contest ends Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at midnight EST.  
• One entry per person, please. 
• Winners must have US mailing addresses. 
• Three winners will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email.  

Print This Recipe!

Pumpkin Whoopee Pies
Reprinted with permission from White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story © 2012 by Jenna Weber, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Makes about 18 whoopee pies
These cookies are very rich, almost like a cupcake, so I suggest saving this recipe for a special occasion or a rainy afternoon. The cookies are best the day you bake them; if you keep them for too long they will become a bit gummy and soft. They would also be perfect with cream cheese frosting in the middle, or on their own, sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar.

For the buttercream filling

1 egg white

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, divided
¾ cup shortening

For the cookies

2 cups brown sugar 

1 cup canola oil

1½ cups canned pumpkin 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1½ teaspoons cinnamon 

½ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the egg white, milk, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar, then mix on high speed until the mixture is creamy and light. Add shortening and remaining cup of sugar, and whip on high speed until very light, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the cookies: In a large bowl, blend together brown sugar and oil with a spoon until well combined. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and continue to stir until smooth.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices, and then add to the wet ingredients, stirring only until combined (be careful not to overmix).

For best results, spoon batter into a piping bag with a large tip and pipe mounds of batter (about 1 tablespoon each) of batter onto the lined sheet tray, about 3 inches apart. (If you don't have a piping bag, use two large spoons and space the batter in the same way.)
Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes, until they begin to turn golden. Let cool completely before sandwiching cookies together with the filling.
Cookie sandwiches will keep in a sealed plastic container at room temperature for a few days.

The above is an excerpt from the book White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story by Jenna Weber. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.


Jenna Weber, author of White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story, is the author of the highly successful food blog Eat, Live, Run. In 2007, she attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida. White Jacket Required is her first book. She lives in San Francisco, California. Go to www.eatliverun.com for an up-to-the-minute look at Weber's world of food.

For more information please visit http://www.eatliverun.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter