Ginger Chai Whoppie Pies

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Ginger Chai Whoopie Pies || To Salt & See. Imagine eating a gingerbread cookie while enjoying a chai latte, then put those together to make these whoppie pies! The cookies are packed with fall spices, and the middle layer is a maple buttercream icin…

I feel like a talk about fall every week during the time leading up to fall, during fall, and then after fall when I am missing fall. I apologize for some of the repetition, but I just HAVE to talk about fall again this week, because it’s SO BEAUTIFUL outside. Minnesota has this fun little website called the Fall Color Finder, which shows the entire state and the percentage of trees have changed color. Right now, Minneapolis is at 75-100%, which means it is an autumn wonderland right now.

The light that comes into our apartment is bright and yellow, thanks to the sunlight bouncing off the yellow ivy and the trees outside of our window that are completely covered in bright yellow leaves. Also! There are trees that a beautifully soft pink color, and I just want to spend all of my time staring at them. The other day I took my camera around our apartment complex to capture the fall scenery before all of the leaves fall off. And I wasn’t the only one - so clearly I’m not the only crazy person! Lol.

This weather has me wanting to watch all the fall movies, like You’ve Got Mail and Dan in Real Life. (But let’s be honest, I will watch those movies ANY time of year). Whenever I watch Dan in Real Life I just want to pick up and move to Rhode Island to live in a house by the ocean, start a large family, and do family activities are crossword puzzle competitions, charades, and eat dinners around a round table by candlelight. Alex has a few residency interviews in New England area, which I am hoping to tag along to, so maybe I can pretend to live that fantasy for a day. If I get to tag along to Yale, you can BET that I will be pretending to be Rory Gilmore. I will drink lots of coffee, talk as fast as I can - using random culture references, and will find a diner to binge on lots of fries.

SO! These ginger chai whoppie pies are the perfect fall treat! The cookies are rich with the flavors of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and molasses. Sandwiched between is a maple buttercream frosting. The taste reminds me of eating a gingerbread cookie while enjoying a cup of chai - a combo that I have never done before, but it’s something I can imagine. The recipe is easy to make, and the aroma that the cookies emit as they bake is heavenly!

Ginger Chai Whoppie Pies

Prep time:

Bake time:

Serves: 21

Ingredients:

  • 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • 2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 8 Tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, and the sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, molasses, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until just incorporated. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cardamom, salt, cloves, and black pepper.
  5. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low medium speed until just incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix until no more flour is visible.
  6. Using a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into round balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, placing 1 1/2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until they are no longer shiny. Do not over-bake! Repeat with the remaining balls.
  8. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Make the icing center: Cream 4 Tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together until fluffy (~2 minutes).
  10. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer the icing to a piping bag.
  11. Assemble the cookies. Place the cookies in pairs according to similar size and shape. Pipe icing onto the flat side of one of the cookies. Sandwich with the other cookie. Repeat with remaining cookie pairs.
  12. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.