Written by Lauren Hedgepeth, a contributor for Memphis StyleBlueprint.
Like the cupcake, Whoopie Pies are having a moment. Here are some supplies and recipes to get your new year’s baking started off on trend!
If you’re on the wagon and have given up sweets for lent, just file this one away for April 8th and beyond.
They’re all the rage!
WHOOPIE! A throwback to simpler times, the Whoopie pie tradition began once upon a time when they were baked by loving wives and put into the lunch pails of their farmers for an afternoon delight. The lucky ones would exclaim “whoopie” when they tasted the soft baked goodness, hence the silly name. Today the jury is still out as to whether these are considered cookies or cakes, but whatever they are, they are downright delicious!
You’d be wise to get a good whoopie-specific baking pan to get you started, or even the super fast, special whoopie pie maker! A regular cookie sheet, though, will also do just fine.
Whoopie Pie Pan
Babycakes Whoopie Pie Maker
The Babycakes whoopie pie maker allows you to make 6 pies in only a few minutes (dangerous!). Add your favorite flavored filling, sprinkle on some powdered sugar, and enjoy! It also comes complete with all the accessories you’ll need, including recipes and a convenient wire cooling rack.
Here are some yummy recipes to try that’ll have your family exclaiming “Whoopie!”
Nothing Beats The Original:
Can’t beat the original
Gourmet 2003
Makes 8 individual desserts
Total time: 1 hr
Ingredients
For the 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
For the filling:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 cups marshmallow cream, such as Marshmallow Fluff
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
To Bake Cakes:
Preheat your oven to 350°F then whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a different, smaller bowl.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat your butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy (this should take about 3-5 minutes,) then add your egg and continue beating until everything is mixed well. Slow down that mixer to the low setting and then take turns mixing in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour. You’ll need to scrape down the side of your bowl occasionally and continue mixing until it’s smooth.
Spoon out equal 1/4-cup mounds of batter and place approximately 2 inches apart using 2 buttered large baking sheets or add to your fool proof whoopie pie pan. Now you are ready for the oven. Switch the position of your sheets halfway through baking until tops are puffing and the cakes spring back when touched, this should take about 11 to 13 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
To make filling:
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. This will take about 3 minutes.
To assemble your pies:
Using a rounded tablespoon of filling, spread on flat sides of cakes and then top off with the remaining cakes.
Strawberry Whoopie Pie:
Strawberry Whoopie Pies
The Oprah Magazine, February 2009
Yields: 24 pies
For the Whoopie Pies:
- 1 cup (5 ounces) stemmed and halved strawberries
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs
For the Strawberry Meringue Filling:
- 1 cup (5 ounces) stemmed and halved strawberries
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 sticks butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
- Red no-taste gel food coloring
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor using the metal blade, pulse your strawberries in short bursts just until they are chopped into small pieces, but not quite pureed. You can set them aside for now.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set this mixture aside.
3. In a larger bowl, combine the brown sugar and oil and mix well. Be sure to break up any lumps in the sugar then mix in the chopped strawberries and yogurt until combined well. Then mix in eggs, one at a time, just until combined. Fold in the flour mixture in two parts, being careful not to overwork the batter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Drop overflowing tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets 2-inches apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops feel firm. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie should come out clean. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the meringue filling, puree strawberries in the bowl of a food processor using the metal blade until smooth (about 15 seconds); set aside.
7. Place the stand mixer bowl over a simmering pot of water making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the sugar and egg whites until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is milky white. This should take about 2 minutes. Transfer egg white mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. Now using the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until soft peaks form and mixture is glossy (this should take about 2 mins.). Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment. Add butter and beat until smooth and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes). Add strawberry puree and about 3 to 5 drops food coloring to make your frosting a light shade of pink. Beat again for about another minute until well combined.
8. To assemble, turn half of the cooled cookies with the flat side facing up. Drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie and make a sandwich by placing another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all cookies are used.
‘Smores Whoopie Pies
‘Smores
This recipe comes from the recently-released cookbook Whoopie Pies, which was co-authored by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.
Yields 24 pies
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 10 minutes
For the Graham Cracker Whoopie:
- 1½ cups graham flour
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Classic Marshmallow Filling:
1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (or solid chocolate, finely chopped)
½ cup heavy cream
Position a baking rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375. Using parchment paper, line 2 baking sheets.
Mix both flours, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Using a stand mixer bowl, attach your paddle and beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar for about 3 mins until the mixture is light and creamy. Then add eggs and buttermilk and beat until combined.
In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until completely combined.
Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Make the Marshmallow Filling:
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling: Put the chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes until the chocolate is melted. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours. You may also refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes until it is firm enough to spread, stirring every 10 minutes.
Assemble the whoopie pies: Pipe or spread (whatever your preferred method) a layer of chocolate ganache filling onto the flat side of one of the cakes. Using the same method, top the chocolate filling with the marshmallow filling. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.
