Lunch: Holiday Whoopie Pies

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Holiday Whoopie Pies

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons roasted ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sorghum molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, mustard powders, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, vanilla and egg and mix on low to completely combine. Stir in the flour mixture and scrape the bottom of the bowl to release any floury bits. Stir together.
Divide the batter into four smaller pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely firm, about 1 hour.
Shape the dough into balls using a heaping tablespoon of dough for each. Place them on cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each. Bake until set and puffed, 8 to 10 minutes.
While the cookies bake, beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more sugar if desired to your desired sweetness.
Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack. When cool, flip half of them over. Divide the frosting evenly among half the whoopie pies. Sandwich together with the other halves. Store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge, in layers divided by wax paper, for up to 5 days.

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