Mini 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 red
• 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 color. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth.
4. Stir food color into batter as desired to create bright red color. Stir until well blended. Spoon batter into resealable food-storage plastic bag.
5. Cut 1/4 inch off corner of bag. Onto cookie sheets, squeeze bag of batter to make 70 (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.