Mini Rainbow Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter softened
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar 
• 1.5 cups pancake mix 
• 1  eggs 
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 serving purple gel food coloring green blue red yellow
• 4 oz cream cheese softened (half of 8-oz package)
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 0.3 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup powdered sugar 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• hand mixer
• ziploc bags

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
2. In medium bowl, beat 3 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on low speed until well blended and sandy in texture.
3. Add remaining cookie ingredients except food colors. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth. Divide batter into 5 small bowls (about 1/4 cup each).
4. Into each bowl, stir food color as desired to create rainbow colors. Stir until well blended. Spoon batter into small resealable food-storage plastic bags.
5. Cut 1/4 inch off corner of each bag. Onto cookie sheets, squeeze each bag of colored batter to make 14 (1-inch) circles of dough (about 1/2 teaspoon each), about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges and centers are set. Cool 2 minutes.
7. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks; cool completely, about 20 minutes.
8. In medium bowl, beat Filling ingredients with spoon until smooth.
9. For each whoopie pie, spread about 1 1/4 teaspoons filling on bottom of 1 cookie; place second cookie, bottom side down, on filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. Store loosely covered in refrigerator with waxed paper between layers.