Pumpkin Oatmeal Whoopie Pies

I really wanted to make whoopie pies on Halloween this year and in my search for the perfect treat to satisfy my craving, I stumbled across this recipe.

I decided to replace 1/3 cup of oil with 1/4 cup soy creamer to make the cookies fluffier and lighter.  I also ended up adding an extra handful or so of flour and oats.  The batter may seem pretty wet compared to most cookie dough, but that's good as long as it's not runny or soppy.  A sticky but malleable consistency is what your going for with this.

I had to bake these cookies for at least 20 minutes before they were ready (this may be the altitude thing...) But they came out amazing!  Soft, chewy, and delicious, all they needed was a good cream filling!

For the whipped creamy filling, I used a frosting recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World 

Vegan Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening*
• 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated  margarine (earth balance or smart balance light)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

*I have a really hard time finding this but some natural food stores may have it.  Otherwise, keep an eye on the labels and pick the least offensive vegetable shortening

Directions:

• Beat shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy
• Add sugar and beat another 3 minutes
• Add vanilla and soy milk/creamer and beat another 5-7 minutes until flluffy

Put it all together: Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.  Add a hefty spoonful of frosting to one cookie, then top with another.  Once all the whoopie pies are sandwiched together, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes before enjoying.  **Longer than 30 minutes- remove from fridge at least 10 minutes before eating to allow whoopie pies to soften**