Gingerbread "Whoopie" Pies

I'm always looking for an excuse to try a new "sweet treat" recipe. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't have a sweet tooth, and although I do love running, I do NOT want to live at the gym. Therefore, my excuse to get in the kitchen and bake often comes in the form of house guests!

Our amazing friends the Goddards made the drive from Mebane to Raleigh on Memorial Day weekend to spend a couple of days visiting with us. I always look forward to our visits with Mike and Jen. Not only are they two of the most genuine people I have ever met, they often humor me and eat whatever I happen to whip up in the kitchen. God bless them.

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago. It immediately caught my eye because I love gingerbread, and it seemed to be a recipe that could easily be done as a cute, bite sized treat to serve at a shower, cocktail party, etc.

Jen was nice enough to keep me company in the kitchen and lend a hand in the baking process. We were both delighted with the end result! The whoopie pies were SO yummy. In my humble opinion, the gingerbread cookies were what made the recipe so outstanding. If you like gingerbread, I would definitely recommend trying these. The cookies would be delicious on their own, but who doesn't love a little cream cheese frosting? As always, I've posted the recipe below. Happy baking!

Ingredients:
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/3 c molasses
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
sanding sugar (I didn't have this, so I used regular sugar)
cream cheese frosting*

*I would usually make my own cream cheese frosting, but it just seemed easier to buy it this time. So, that's what I did. Thank you very much Betty Crocker.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large  bowl, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg and molasses, beat until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined.

Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in sanding sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool 2 minutes, remove to cooling racks and cool completely. Spread filling evenly on flat side of one cookie, and top with another. (Makes 24 servings)

**As an aside, I would recommend using the bottom of a drinking glass (spray with non-stick cooking spray first) to slightly flatten the balls of dough once placed on the cookie sheet. Thinner cookies might make for whoopie pies that are not quite as "thick" and therefore easier to eat!  :-)

aren't they cute?!