Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Whoopie Pie

• Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the baking sheets
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch fine salt

1. For the cookies: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the brown sugar, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and beat until combined.
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just combined.
6. Scoop 1-tablespoon mounds of batter on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
7. Moisten your fingers, gently form each mound into a round and slightly smooth the top of each.
8. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
9. Adjust oven racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
10. Bake until the tops of the cookies bounce back when gently touched, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Cool on the sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
13. Add the pumpkin puree and beat to combine.
14. Add the confectioners' sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt and beat to combine.
15. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling on the bottoms of half the cookies.
16. Sandwich with the remaining cookies and press gently to push the filling to the edges.
17. Refrigerate to chill before serving, about 1 hour.

nonstick cooking spray, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla, egg, wellshaken buttermilk, cream cheese, unsalted butter, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pumpkin-spice-chocolate-whoopie-pie.html (may not work)