Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

My roommate told me these looked like "little pumpkin terds." Then she tried one. Her world was rocked. These little guys are good!

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
• 1-2/3 cups flour
• 4 ounces cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
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• 1. Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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• 2. Whisk together melted stick of butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Then, fold in the flour 1/2 c. at a time. 
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• 3. Use a tablespoon and drop heaping mounds of dough onto cookie sheets. Smooth out so they appear in little flat rounded balls. Thiner the better. Too thick, they turn out too big because they expand when cooked. 
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• 4. For the middle frosting: Cream the softened butter and cream cheese. Add in powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Add tablespoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or both! It just gives a little extra flavor. Add in maple syrup and mix all together until smooth and thick. 
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• 5. Wait until cookies are cooled. Then, pile a heaping amount of frosting on the flat side of one cookie. Take another cookie and smoosh on top.
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• 6. Enjoy! But keep refridgerated if not serving
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• *Tip: These can be frozen for up to three days.