Recipe: Whoopie Pie

If you like moon pies, brownies and oreo filling, this recipe is for you.  According to some food historians, Amish women would occasionally put one of these treats into their husbands' lunchboxes.  When farmers found the sweet surprise, they'd shout "whoopie!"  I know that's how I felt when my mom left me a Ding Dong.  She always made us fantastic lunches, with fresh sliced turkey on whole wheat bread and the lettuce and tomato in separate baggies.  Ding Dongs went against her grain, but we loved them.

I'm posting the traditional recipe for whoopie pies. It involves Crisco.  Maybe you don't like using shortening.  You can substitute a stick of butter, but the filling will run.  A healther alternative is to use only marshmallow fluff, which is very sticky.  Whipping cream works too, but it must be eaten immediately. 

Since whoopie pies take two steps, you can make the cakes a day or two in advance.  Store them in an airtight container separated by wax paper.  Like most cookies, they freeze well too.  Just pop them into ziploc bags and let them defrost at room temp.

Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

- Cakes -

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

- Filling - 

1 jar of Marshmallow fluff

1 1/4 cup shortening (aka Crisco)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Process:

- Making 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 1/4-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. 

- Making filling - 

In a mixer beat the fluff and shortening together until fluffy.  Slowly add sugar, then vanilla.  Blend until incorporated then spread a 1/2 inch think layer of frosting on one cake.  Assemble with another half.  Done! :)