Chocolate Pumpkin Cookie Sandwiches

Chocolate Pumpkin Cookie Sandwiches

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
  
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 1 large egg, room temperature
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Into a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.
Drop dough onto a greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake until cookies are firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Place a spoon full of cream filling onto the flat side of half the cookies, in the center of each cookie. Place remaining cookies on top, and gently press on each to squeeze filling to edges.

Vanilla Cream Filling

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure pumpkin

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Turning Orange

Instead of a kitchen garden this year, I planted 3 pumpkin plants that sprouted where last year's jack o' lantern decomposed. To keep it low maintenance and weed free, I covered the garden bed with cardboard, then created small holes where I squeeze in the plants.

This is one of my favorite gardens yet.

Just wait until he's a jack o' lantern!