Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening, sugar and eggs.

In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon).

Into the sugar mixture, mix in half of the dry ingredients, then mix in the pumpkin and vanilla, then mix in the other half of the dry ingredients. If using home-canned pumpkin, it can make the batter too soft. If you do this, an extra 1/4 cup flour will help.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. When done, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely before filling the pies.

Beat together the icing ingredients.

Place a spoonful of icing on the bottom of one cookie and make a sandwich using a second cookie. Repeat this process until you run out of icing or cookies. (For some reason it never works out exactly perfect.)