To celebrate the end of Cupcake Week, I thought I might post a delicious recipe for {one of} the Next Big Things at the bakery: Whoopie Pies.
Whoopie pies are becoming more popular, popping up everywhere from bakeries to bookstores {click here to visit this yummy looking title on Amazon}. Whoopie pies are fun, allow for endless creative flavor combinations just like cupcakes, and are portable and easy to eat. Sounds like a winner to me.
I've been wanting to make Whoopie Pies since last Christmas, but never got around to it until last weekend. We were going to a 4th of July cookout and I wanted to bring a dessert. I had a recipe and started gathering my ingredients. However, I was stopped in my tracks when I realized I didn't have nearly enough cocoa powder. Kind of a key ingredient in a chocolate based whoopie pie recipe...No problem, I took to the trusty internet. After reading several recipes, this is what I came up with. The secret save-the-day ingredient? Boxed cake mix.
Whoopie Pies (traditional flavors)
Yields 18-20
For the cake (or are they cookies??):
1 box chocolate or Devil's Food cake mix
scant 1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 c. water
Mix well with a stand or hand mixer. Drop by tablespoons* onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets allowing generous amount of room between cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees until centers spring back when touched lightly with finger. Let sit on baking sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
*I used a cookie scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) coated with nonstick spray. Makes a great, uniform size cake. Or cookie. Whatever you want to call it ;-)
Filling:
3/4 c. shortening
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. Fluff (marshmallow creme)
1-2 T. milk
Combine all ingredients except milk in bowl of stand mixer. Mix well and then add enough milk to make creamy (I used closer to 1 T. than 2). Mix until light and fluffy.
Assemble whoopie pies by spreading filling on one cookie and topping with another. I found a tablespoon from the silverware drawer actually worked pretty well for scooping up the filling and spreading it.
Arrange completed whoopie pies on a plate and watch children devour them. And have them try to convince you that 4 whoopie pies = dinner.
Enjoy!
Store any extra whoopie pies in the fridge.
I also read that these freeze well. I put 4 of them in a ziploc bag in the freezer and took them out to defrost last night in the fridge. Cuyler will be so excited that there are whoopie pies available for breakfast!
