Antjie, die Rooibruin hen: Whoopie Pies...

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Whoopie Pies...

1950s~ Mother and daughter at kitchen table,

preparing ingredients in mixer for baking.

Since I was a young girl whoopie pies have been a favorite treat of mine...
moist chocolate cake sandwiched in creamy smooth frosting is the simple, elegant joy of this dessert.

A few days ago I was having a hankering for these lovelies.... so I pulled out my tried and true
recipe and whipped up a few.
The perfect ending to any dinner, picnic or brunch... your dear wee ones, family or guest
will most likely be quite happy, indeed, with these scrumptious delights.

A Bit of "Whoopie Pie History"

"Whoopie pies are a classic confection

consisting of rounds of moist

chocolate cake sandwiching a thick

layer of creamy frosting.

The origins of the pie date to the

early part of the 20th century

to either coastal Maine or the rich baking

tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch."

-Cook's Country

"While considered a New England

phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish

tradition, they are increasingly

sold throughout the United States.

According to food historians,

Amish women would bake these

(known as hucklebucks at the time)

and put them in farmers' lunchboxes.

When farmers would find these treats in their

lunch, they would shout "Whoopie!"

-Wikipedia

The Recipe
Whoopie Pies
recipe courtesy~ Cook's Country

Cakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed
cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
(1 stick), softened but still cool
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Filling:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
(1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff

For the cakes:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining buttermilk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir. Using 1/3-cup measure, scoop 6 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet, spacing mounds about 3 inches apart. Bake until cakes spring back when pressed, 12 to 16 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool completely on baking sheets, at least 1 hour.

For the filling:
With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in Fluff until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate filling until slightly firm, about 30 minutes. (Bowl can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Dollop 1/3 cup filling on center of flat side of 6 cakes. Top with flat side of remaining 6 cakes and gently press until filling spreads to edge of cake. Serve. (Whoopie pies can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)