Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Who doesn't love a good whoopie? I mean really even if you haven't ever enjoyed the indulgent-y goodness of a whoopie pie the word alone fills one with unencumbered joy. I think I may have mentioned in the last year of blogging my absolute idolatry of pumpkin anything. Pumpkin pancakes, smoothies, pies, cakes, pasta and even a pumpkin black bean enchilada have graced my taste buds and tummy since my transformation from vegetarian caterpillar to a beautiful vegan butterfly. Thus it seemed only reasonable that when the newest King Arthur Flour catalog arrived at my door with a recipe for pumpkin whoopie pies I needed to veganize it...and quick. Since that fate-filled day I have made these whoopie pies 6 or 7 times and each time I am discovering how to improve the recipe so they work with vegan ingredients. The first take was a mess, instead of whoopie pies I ended up with whoopie discs, quite crispy and thin. Yikes! A change here, a change there and finally I have something I can be proud of.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 T. molasses
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ground flax
2 T. water
1 can pumpkin
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand-up mixer cream Earth Balance, canola oil, and brown sugar until most of sugar is dissolved making a brown goo of sorts. Add molasses, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. In a small bowl whisk flax and water with a fork until a bit frothy, then add to batter. Mix for about 1 minute to get everything well combined the add pumpkin and mix for another 30 seconds. Finally add it flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix well until you get a light, fluffy whipped batter.

I discovered the best thing to use when baking these is a silpat or parchment paper, a greased pan will cause the whoopies to spread...eek!


Using a pastry bag and tip #5PT pipe small circles (for mini bite sized whoopies) or larger 2 inch diameter circles (for normal sized whoopies)

Pipe about two inches apart from one another. Place in oven and bake for 13 minutes (for minis) to 16 minutes (for regular). Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool pipe frosting on one whoopie and top with another creating a delicious pie!

Filling:
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese or shortening (either make for a great flavor)
2-3 cups powdered sugar (I never measure this, you just want to make sure the end result isn't too soft or runny, so increase powdered sugar until a nice thick but soft frosting emerges)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground ginger

In stand up mixer cream together the Earth Balance and cream cheese. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency then add vanilla extract and ground ginger. When frosting is complete put into a piping bag and using a star tip pipe into a circle on one whoopie and then top with another whoopie then shove into your face and great elation. Yep, it is that good!

Brendan Brazier, creator of VEGA

A few weeks back I was at Whole Foods doing my weekly shopping, listening to the new Antlers album, spacing out. You know, my usual shopping mode, when I chanced on "Thrive, the Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life." If there is anything I want to perform in life, it it definitely optimal. I was drawn to the book because of two things, the word Vegan and a bicyclist on the cover. Being a bike riding Vegan I was more than sure this book was going to "speak to my soul," as my friend Althea refers to anything she purchases. It was a mere 15 dollars, and as far as anything being bought in Whole Foods for under 20 I felt like it was a steal!

The past few weeks I have toyed around with some of the recipes, the first being the only dessert recipe in the book. It figures the cupcake queen would make dessert first, right? The recipe was for a raw banana pie, and it was more than delicious! The pie was rich and the slices a little heavy, which is great because I did not go back for seconds and my waistline thanked me later. The pie is made with bananas, pear, ginger, sunflower seeds, hemp protein powder and more yummy ingredients I happen to always have on hand. I will definitely make this again, and soon!

The next recipe I tried out was for a cucumber pesto salad with a tomato basil dressing, Need I say more? This salad had me craving greens all week. The dressing was to live for and the flavors of everything were so complex (mind you the recipes are fairly simple) that one's palate could point out every ingredient, as if one were tasting wine. The subtle notes of the agave, the bold flavor of heirloom tomatoes and the fresh taste of basil made store bought dressings less than little to be desired.

If you haven't noticed yet, I have a crush on this book, and I suggest to anyone who likes their veggies to pick this baby up! I have now made the pizzas and veggie burgers in Thrive and I have even done the lemon-lime sport drink or my last bike riding adventure, and I cannot wait to try more.


Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Quinoa Pizza

The whole reason I have started typing this post was because last night, I met Brendan Brazier: Ironman triathlete, Vegan and all around nice guy. He gave a lecture for his latest book "Thrive Fitness, the Vegan Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health and Fitness." He gave a very interesting and informative lecture. It is now that I see, chances are, my body is producing the "stress hormone" (as noted in his book) Cortisol. The Cortisol in your body attributes to lack of sleep, weight gain and many other very unattractive things. I notice that I can sleep eight hours and still be groggy all day, that even when eating healthy I have not lost the weight I feel like I should be losing. My sister says, "You are skinny, you don't need to lose weight," but sister, my body is not performing optimally. (:


that's me on the left

After having witnessed Brendan in real life, listened to his personal stories, an seen the outcome I am more than interested in his diet, (mostly raw foods) his Vega supplement powder, energy drinks and bars. Sigh, I think I am in love, with Vega that is! I am drinking the Vanilla Chai Vega supplement (surprisingly not bad) as I type this. I won it in a drawing at the lecture last night. Gooooo me! I have bid farewell to my morning cup o' joe and now am starting my days off on a happier and most definitely healthier path.



Thanks Brendan!
www.BrendanBrazier.com