Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and Caramel Chocolate Coffee - Great Winter Food and Drink Pairing

Say Pumpkin Whoopie Pie and Caramel Chocolate Coffee and my whole family comes running. This is a great winter food and beverage pairing. Why? When it's cold out and you want to warm up the family with a spicy treat, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are your best bet. What goes with a heavy cookie better than some hot coffee? Caramel Chocolate Coffee is not your usual cup of coffee. It's almost a treat in itself!

This winter food pairing is great to serve at card club, holiday parties or after an afternoon of sledding or snowmobiling. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are easy and the ingredients for the Caramel Chocolate Coffee are simple.

Recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are actually pumpkin cookies stuck together with filling. Just as pumpkin filling has certain degrees of spiciness, the Pumpkin Whoopie Pie also can be mild to very spicy. This recipe is mild. Be sure to taste the batter and add more spices accordingly.

Ingredients for pumpkin cookies

1 cup shortening
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups cooked or canned pumpkin

In a big mixing bowl, cream the shortening and brown sugar. Then add the 2 eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add this to the creamed mixture ALTERNATELY with the pumpkin. Mix very well.

Drop by rounded TABLESPOONS 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly, it will be very sticky! Bake at 400 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Ingredients for Whoopie Pie Filling

¼ cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
¾ cup milk
1 cup shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine the flour and salt in a saucepan. Slowly add the milk and whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Usually 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Cover this and cool in refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat for 7 minutes or until it is fluffy!

Spread this on the bottom of half of the cookies. Top with the other cookies. Store these in the refrigerator. They stay moist!

Caramel Chocolate Coffee

Ingredients

Brewed coffee
Hershey's chocolate syrup
Caramel syrup like Smucker's has
½ and ½ cream (or milk will work fine)
Whipped Cream ( like Reddi Whipped Cream in a can)

Squirt about a tablespoon each of Caramel and chocolate in the cup, add about ¼ cup of ½ and ½ cream or milk and finish filling with steaming hot coffee. Stir and top with whipped cream! What a treat. Everyone can make Caramel Chocolate Coffee to suit their tastes!

Enjoy your Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and Caramel Chocolate Coffee! This is a great winter food and beverage pairing!

source:
Taste of Home 2001
Own experience (coffee)