Were’re Making Whoopie – Pies that Is!

Our Office Manager, Sarah, is very excited about our inaugural Top Cookie of the Week. To make preparation of whoopie pies a little less stressful during the holidays, Sarah makes the cakes ahead of time and freezes them. When she wants to make them for guests, she pulls them out to defrost and makes the marshmallow filling — and voila, ready to serve! Read on for recipe.

Native to New England, Whoopie pies are made traditionally with marshmallow fluff sandwiched by two cake like chocolate cookies. Whoopie pies were originated by the Amish and are called whoopie pies because when children used to get them in their lunches they would all scream, “Whoopie!”

Makes 8

Ingredients:

For cakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1&¼; teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg

For filling
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups confectioners sugar
2 cups marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Make cakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
Spoon ¼-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Make filling:

Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble pies:

Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.