Favorite Whoopie Pies
Submitted by laxdog
Whoopie pies with soft, cake-like chocolate cookies sandwiching a silky cooked-flour buttercream. The old-fashioned ermine filling stays light and not too sweet. A New England and Pennsylvania Dutch classic.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
14 minREADY
90 minWhoopie pies are part cookie, part cake, and all comfort: two soft, domed chocolate rounds sandwiching a fluffy cream filling. These cocoa cakes get their tender, springy crumb from brown sugar and milk, baking up cushiony rather than crisp.
The filling is where this version stands apart. Instead of marshmallow fluff, it uses an old-fashioned cooked-flour buttercream, sometimes called ermine frosting. You cook flour and milk into a thick paste, cool it, then beat it with butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. The result is silky and light, never gritty or cloyingly sweet.
A couple of practical notes: keep the cookie rounds equal in size so they pair up neatly, and press the filled pies just until the cream peeks out the sides. Store them chilled, where they keep for a few days, or freeze for longer.
Chef Tips
- Make all the rounds the same size, since they get sandwiched in pairs. Two tablespoons each, shaped evenly, keeps them matched.
- Cook the flour-and-milk paste until truly thick and cool it completely before beating in the butter, or the filling turns runny.
- Press waxed paper onto the surface of the cooled paste, as directed, to stop a skin from forming.
- The cookies are done when they spring back at the center. Overbaking dries out the soft crumb.
Variations
- Add a pinch of espresso powder to the cookies to deepen the chocolate.
- Flavor the filling with peppermint or a little melted chocolate.
- Roll the exposed filling edges in sprinkles or mini chips for a festive look.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Line baking sheets with aluminum foil, coat with cooking spray.
COOKIES: Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in second bowl until creamy, 1 minute.
Beat in vanilla and eggs; beat 30 seconds.
On low speed, beat in cocoa.
Alternately beat in flour mixture and and milk in 3 additions.
Drop two tablespoons mixture per cookie onto prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
Shape each into 2¼ inch rounds (keep each equal since they will be sandwiched).
Bake in oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched in center.
Cool on sheets 5 minutes.
Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.
CREAM FILLING: Stir flour and milk in saucepan until smooth.
Bring to simmering over medium heat.
Whisking, until thickened and bubbly; cook 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter until smooth.
Press waxed paper directly on surface.
Let stand until cool to touch, about 45 minutes.
Beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar into small bowl until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping bottom and side of bowl as needed.
Add milk mixture; beat 1 minute or until smooth and fluffy.
Sandwich together pairs of cookies with 2 tablespoons filling, pressing lightly until filling begins to show around edges.
Decorate whoopie pies if desired.
Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days or in freezer up to 1 month.
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