Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling {Vegan}

Longest title ever?

I’m officially in a holiday cookie induced sugar coma and I may never come out. I mean, I’m beginning to wonder what I will do with my life once it’s December 26th? Will I have to go back to normal recipes??? THE HORROR!!

Can we talk about the whole concept of “seasonal” foods??? I mean, it’s bad enough that honeycrisp apples only exist for like 3 weeks out of the year, but eggnog and ginger exist YEAR ROUND my friends. So does peppermint. Why do we have to pretend it is only excited in the winter time?? I want to drink eggnog from the carton in July with no shame. You may ask for world peace. I ask for eggnog in July. I fail to see the difference.

I don’t really understand the idea that if you only have something once in a while, it’s supposed to be more special or something? I guess they call that moderation. I don’t have it.

And before you judge me, let me tell you, once you taste these whoopie pies, you won’t have it either. I was a little unsure how the eggnog flavor would go with the chocolate. Oooooooomg. Why have we not been eating chocolate eggnog every day for our entire lives????? Okay, blah blah blah, heart disease… Whatever. It’s amazing.

Whoopie pies are only, like, my favorite thing ever. They’re up there with cilantro and fro yo. Is it cake? Is it a cookie? What is that delicious filling??? Oh, it’s just a freaking WHOOPIE PIE. Soft and cake-like gingerbread cookie stuffed with rich dark chocolate and eggnog that is so delicious you’ll want to lick the crumbs off your silpat. Not that I did anything like that….

 

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Eggnog Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

yield one dozen large whoopie pies

For the cookie/cake (adapted from Damn Delicious)

• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash salt
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, brown sugar and molasses. Beat in half of the dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture, followed by the almond milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Beat in remaining half of the dry ingredients.
3. Using a small-medium cookie scoop, drop batter onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the filling, place all ingredients in a small microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well. If chocolate if not completely melted after stirring, continue to heat for 15 second increments until stirring melts it completely. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature or in the fridge until it has thickened and is no longer runny (about 15 minutes in the fridge, or 20 at room temp). Do not keep it in the fridge too long, or it will harden.
5. Spread filling over 1/2 of the cookies/cakes (whatever you want to call the gingerbread part…), then top with an other cookie/cake.