Whoopie Pies

I woke up this morning with an urge to make something new. Naturally, I explored Bakerella's amazing website and remembered a post I had found a couple of weeks ago that I had been wanting to make- the one for whoopie pies. I wasn't sure when I would find the time to make them, since my family is preparing to go to Serbia for the International World Space Modeling Championship and I'm frantically trying to finish up building my model rocket. Because of that, I will probably not be posting for the next couple of weeks.

But I managed to sneak away for about an hour to make my whoopie pies. Why do they call them whoopie pies? Because when you bite in to them, you whoopie for joy. Yes. They turned out deliciously.



Whoopie Pies


I just made the chocolate kind found on her website, so this is the recipe for that.


Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 C flour
• 2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 C packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 C milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, sift together, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with a mixer on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.
5. Add egg and vanilla and beat for two more minutes.
6. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk and beat on low until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and milk and beat until combined.
7. Using a tablespoon, drop batter on baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes each or until pies spring back when pressed gently.
8. Remove from oven and cool for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Now you're ready for the frosting. Bakerella used a peanut butter filling, but I decided to do a cream cheese filling instead, because I like cream cheese better. Yup.


Cream Cheese Filling

• 3 C confectioners sugar
• 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Just mix them all together. I used a spoon at first, and then beaters to get it good and whipped. I had to add about a cup to a cup and a half extra sugar to make it thicker, so just see where it is for you. It can't be too runny. I piped the filling onto the  pie halve, and it made it pretty and it was easier than spooning it on.

Then you just squish the other pie half on top! Bakerella put little morsels around the sides of the pie, so I decided to try that too. They turned out wonderfully.