Spiced Apple Whoopie Pies

I can’t believe this, but I actually have a healthy treat for you today.  These whoopie pies are tasty yet healthy.  You must trust me.

Hodgson Mill sent me some flours and mixes to try.  I’m already familiar with their products.  I’ve bought their flours and pasta before and they’re delicious.  I think the company is based out of Illinois now, but the original Hodson Mill is located in the Ozarks (where I’m from ).  I’ve been using the whole wheat and white whole flours in some of my baking lately.  They also sent some bread flour but I used that within a couple of days.  Haha.  I love bread flour in cookies and brownies.  I haven’t tried the buckwheat flour or blueberry muffin mix yet.  I’m trying to think of something to make with the buckwheat – maybe crepes?



I created this recipe using Hodgson Mill’s whole wheat pastry flour.  The flour has less gluten than whole wheat, making your baked goods healthy and still tender.

The cakey-cookie dough is flavored with spices, a little bit of brown sugar, a little bit of butter, molasses, chopped apples, and applesauce.  The filling is made from reduced fat cream cheese, a small amount of powdered sugar, orange zest, toasted pecans and golden raisins.  I think these would be perfect for upcoming holiday parties and cookie exchanges.

Hodgson Mill would like to give away a prize pack to one  Sugar Plum reader.  I believe the prize pack would be something similar to what I received.  Just leave a comment telling me which Hodgson Mill product you’d like to try.  I think I’d like to try their semolina flour since I’ve been wanting to make some pasta.  I’ll randomly pick a winner and announce on Wednesday!  Whoopie!

Be sure to also enter Hodson Mill’s Win a Grain sweepstakes for more prizes!  It’s a pretty sweet contest they’re running for the holidays. 

They’re also offering Sugar Plum readers $1 off any bag of Hodgson Mill flour or cornmeal.  That’s a good deal!  Get it while it’s hot, folks. 


Spiced Apple Whoopie Pies

2 cups Hodgson Mill whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided use
1/3 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped apple

3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans
3 tablespoons golden raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.  In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together 2 tablespoons butter, apple sauce, brown sugar and molasses until creamy - about 1 minute.  Beat in egg until combined - about 30 seconds.  Beat in apple until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in dry ingredients until just combined. 

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about 1/2-inch apart.  Bake 10 minutes or until well risen and firm.  Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool.

To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cream cheese until creamy.  Beat in confectioners' sugar and orange zest until combined and smooth.  Beat in pecans and raisins until combined.  Spread frosting on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches. 

Makes 1 dozen