In a nod to New England in their bid for the Super Title, I give you Mini Whoopie Pies!
The Whoopie Pie is the the official state treat of Maine, and considered a New England classic. Also know as black moons, gobs, or black and whites, whatever their name, they are in the words of Rachael Ray…yum-o!
According to What’s Cooking America , traditional whoopee pies are made with vegetable shortening, not butter, which is how I made mine. The original and most commonly made whoopie pie is chocolate. but cooks like to experiment, and today pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite seasonal variation.
The recipe for whoopie pies has its origins with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon to find roadside farm stands offering these desserts. Amish cooking is about old recipes that have fed families for generations, with no trendy or cross-cultural fusions or mixtures. These cake-like whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter. According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!”
I never in my life have had a whoopee pie, until I made these. We grew up on Ding Dongs and Swiss Rolls. If I had only known, see the best part of any of these treats is the filling. Whoopie pies have a whole bunch more of that, and I love it. I did read that you can use the marshmallow fluff right out of the jar for the filling but don’t…….make the filling, I promise it’s worth it.
Tim is not as much of a fan of these kinds of treats……more for me……lol, but he did like them. If I would have had these in my lunch as a kid I would have yelled Whoopie!!!!
I made a mini version,
So, there were a whole bunch of them.
So, they could be shared easily.
So, they could be used a a bite size treat.
These bite sized treats fit perfectly into a Super Bowl feast. I really think you need some sweet relief from all the fried, battered, chip and dip things that are traditional Super Bowl fare. Every event needs a dessert, no matter how plain or fancy.
Plus these can be made ahead, and stored for up to a week in an air tight container, but I don’t think you will have any to store….so maybe make a double batch??
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Mini Whoopie Pies
- Yield: 30 minis 1x
Ingredients
- For cakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used a dark cocoa)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- For filling
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- 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 measuring cup.
- Beat together shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl with an stand or hand held 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.
- Using a small scoop (my scoop is about 1 tablespoon) scoop batter about an inch apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Make filling:
- Beat together shortening, powdered sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Assemble pies:
- Place prepared filling into a large ziploc bag, squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal. Snip off a corner of the bag and squeeze filling onto one cookie bottom and top with another to form a sandwich. I was able to make 30 mini pies, depending on eh size of your scoop counts can vary.
