Gobs, of a pumpkin variety

I was planning on not posting this recipe, in favor of saving it for inclusion in a more (interesting) long-term project I've been working on.





Some people know these sorts of sandwich cookie-muffin hybrids as "whoopie pies"; however, where I grew up in western Pennsylvania, they were always referred to as gobs. And you have to admit the latter is the funnier more evocative of the two. Because it allows you to cram gobs down your gob. Although they are also a nice for more leisurely snacking with a cup of coffee. These gobs have tangy maple-cream cheese filling sandwiched between spiced pumpkin cookies that are more like muffin tops with a tender cakey crumb. Having settled pressing issues of diction, I present the recipe.

Pumpkin Gobs
makes 4 gobs

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
3 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or demerrara)
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tub (4 oz.) vegan cream cheese (i.e. Tofutti)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp confectioners' sugar*

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment

Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together canola oil and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well-combined, but be careful not to over-stir.

Dollop out 8 cookies onto baking sheet. You may need to smooth them out to flatten just a little bit; remember they will puff up like muffin tops rather than spread out during baking.

Bake at 375 F for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a small bowl, whip cream cheese with a fork. Whip in maple syrup. Whip in confectioners' sugar. (*The latter is optional, but it does help the frosting to be less runny; if you don't feel like going out of your way to procure vegan confectioners' sugar for only 1 tbsp, I suggest refrigerating the filling for a while before frosting.)

When cookies are completely cool, frost and sandwich. When you've filled your gobs, it's best to wrap them up individually in cling wrap or foil** and keep in the fridge, until you feel like eating them.

**Normally I try to avoid using the stuff, but they can dry out if not properly wrapped up. Of course you can simply eat them all, crammed in your gob, right at once and then you circumvent this issue altogether.