Brown Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Last fall, I made whoopie pies for the first time. They came out really well and the recipients really enjoyed them. You can find that post here. This weekend, I had some pumpkin to use up and decided to make a treat to bring in to work. I used the same whoopie pie recipe as before, only I added a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips. I didn't have quite enough pumpkin and my eggs weren't quite room temperature, and I think that may have caused my cakes to come out a little more like cookies. They didn't spread out while baking well this time, but they still taste great. Moral of the story? Follow your recipe exactly when you're baking and aren't sure what the results will be if you don't!

While the filling I used last time tasted great, it was kind of runny so I decided to look for a different recipe this time. I found the most delicious recipe on foodbuzz for a brown butter cream cheese filling. It turned out just sweet enough, creamy, smooth, and the perfect accompaniment to my whoopie pies. I added a little cinnamon to the filling, and probably could have added even more. Give this one a try - you won't regret it!



Brown Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling
adapted from: foodbuzz.com

What You Need
1/4 cup butter {I don't think margarine will work for this recipe.}
8 oz. 1/3-reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature {Use the block kind, not the spreadable kind.}
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, or more to taste

What To Do
1. Slice the butter to help with even melting. To brown the butter: melt butter a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once melted, keep on medium until golden brown, still whisking constantly. {The butter can go from brown to burned quickly, so keep a close eye on it. It should have a nutty aroma.} Set aside to cool.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and cooled brown butter until smooth.
3. With mixer on low, add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat until smooth. {Taste and stop adding sugar when you feel it's sweet enough. I thought it needed the whole cup.}
4. Add cinnamon. Beat on high for a few seconds or until slightly whipped. Pin It