I’ll admit it right now. I am not very good at taking orders from people, especially when it comes to food. My eyebrows furrow and my toes curl up when I hear a command. The kitchen is the one place that I want complete control and complete freedom to do what I please.
However, when Pizzaboy sent me an email with a picture of something he saw on the internet, my toes started to curl and I pursed my lips. ‘What is it that you want now?!’ I ask. The attachment was the most enticing picture of a whoopie pie.
“Hell yeah! I’ll make that!”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
“Oh… cool!.”
The things we do for love.
I’ve never eaten these before. I am pleasantly surprised by it’s soft cake-like texture and it definitely sinks right into your mouth. My mind is going insane with all the potential flavour combinations ideas.
ps. they are a heck of a lot easier to make than their French counterparts *cough* macarons *cough*
Recipe is from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell
Ingredients for the cake biscuit
1 2/3 cups plain flour
2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/ Position the rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 170 degrees (375F). Line two baking sheets with silicone mat or cooking paper
2/ Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3/ In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth (about 3 minutes).
4/ Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat for another 2 minutes.
5/ Add half of the flour mixture and half od the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and milk. Beat until completely combined.
6/ 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.
7/ Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently.
8/ Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Ingredients for the vanilla buttercream
3 cups pure icing sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the icing sugar with the butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed, until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the milk, vanilla and salt and beat on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Assembling the Whoopie Pie
Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Flip the cake biscuit base over and pipe out a generous amount. Gently place another cake biscuit on top of the iced cake biscuit.
Tips from the cookbookmaniac
* These expand a lot in the oven. It is very important to keep a 2 inch distance between the each scoop of the batter
* Whoopie Pies should have a smooth humped top. My whoopie pies turned out cracked, but… I don’t mind them that way.
* I think I will have to double the quantities the next time I make these. Pizzaboy gobbled them up in an instant.
Pizzaboy tried to eat a Whoopie Pie in one mouthful. Needless to say this photo was his unsuccessful attempt.
Comments
Sophia
August 2, 2010 at 1:57 amThat looks SO pretty and may I just say that it looks even better than Bakerella’s version 🙂 So what is it exactly? A cake or cookie? (I may need to make it to find out, huh?)
Ps. LOVE your blog 🙂
Helen (grabyourfork)
August 2, 2010 at 3:07 amLove the animated gifs. I thought I was seeing things at first! The decorations are effective too.
Maria
August 2, 2010 at 4:58 amHey love your animated images Amy! Well done with the whoopie pies! I can think of one flavour combo I might have to try too ;o)
sara
August 2, 2010 at 6:58 amSO cute! Love these. 🙂 The sprinkles really make them!
chocolatesuze
August 2, 2010 at 7:10 amdude awesome pics! and hee the gifs have me mesmorised!
catty
August 2, 2010 at 7:27 amAwesome work with Foodgawker and Tastespotting and you know why? because the whoopie pies are SO DAMN CUTE!!
Michelle
August 2, 2010 at 8:03 amYour photos knocked my socks off! : ) Makes me want to run to the kitchen and make some whoopie pies. Great job!
grace
August 2, 2010 at 8:09 amscrumptious! i love the moving picture and the use of sprinkles–these are completely perfect!
angie
August 2, 2010 at 8:24 amLove the animated gifs! Aww these are adorable, might have to push it up the ‘to do’ list soon, you’ve inspired me!
Rhonda (thedaintybaker)
August 2, 2010 at 8:44 amThat vid is soo cool! and those whoopie pies look so cute!
Jenny
August 2, 2010 at 9:59 amlove Love LOVE that the sprinkles match the polka dots. How clever is that!?!
Lauren Zabaneh
August 2, 2010 at 10:08 amthese are more than adorable! they looks so yummy, you’ve got me craving them. love your pics, they are amazing. great job. so glad to have found you on tastespotting.com! cheers!
Emily
August 2, 2010 at 10:46 amThe pies look great and I love your fancy video/photos. I actually piped mine rather than scooped them out and the tops were a bit smoother, but I still think your pies look gorgeous.
Yum!
OohLookBel
August 2, 2010 at 11:41 amThey’re adorable! And *love* the matching spotted background paper.
Richard Elliot
August 2, 2010 at 5:12 pmDelish!
The animations are very cool.
Angie’s Recipes
August 2, 2010 at 8:15 pmYummy!
Beautiful pictures! Animated picture is cool.
pigpigscorner
August 2, 2010 at 9:24 pmSo pretty with the colourful sprinkles! Whoopie pie is definitely on my to-make list!
Anne’s Kitchen
August 2, 2010 at 9:32 pmWow, I love your pictures! Very nice!
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
August 2, 2010 at 10:32 pmyou have truly given justice to the awesome name of these things 😀
MaryMoh
August 2, 2010 at 11:13 pmWow…beautiful…looks delicious! Amy, I have been thinking about whoopie pies lately. The name sounds cute. I have wanted to try. Now looking at yours, I want to try even more 😀
Minnie
August 3, 2010 at 12:38 amThey look amazing! Will be breaking these babys out at our next BBq!
Juliana
August 3, 2010 at 4:23 amThe whoopie pies look beautiful, so fluffy and light, love the video of the whipped cream filling the pie 🙂
Lisa @ bakebikeblog
August 3, 2010 at 8:49 amooooh these are too adorable! Well done!
john@heneedsfood
August 3, 2010 at 1:58 pmSuch a cute name for these adorable pies!
oneshotbeyond
August 4, 2010 at 3:57 amsuch a great job on these…kids would love them!
Maria@TheGourmetChallenge
August 4, 2010 at 4:47 pmoh wow!! I just love your animated photos…they are so cool!!
I had one of these the other day, it was ginger flavour with vanilla buttercream. Such a revelation!
mademoiselle délicieuse
August 4, 2010 at 9:59 pmI’m trying to imagine whether they’re more cake-like or biscuit-like in texture. Classic flavours that definitely work though. And for the life of me, I can’t remember why they’re called whoopie pies!
cityhippyfarmgirl
August 5, 2010 at 8:48 amBicka! Bicka! Bicka! Little Monkey just caught sight of your whoopies, and I think he approves. I have never heard of them, but they look good… perhaps a little too good!
audrey
August 5, 2010 at 2:10 pmThis is great, got to get my fifth aunt to bake this for my big day. She love baking cookie ,cake now whoopie pie :). Love the picture.
hollypop
August 5, 2010 at 8:08 pmi just ordered this book because of you <3
adorbs. and love the gifs.
Emma @CakeMistress
August 6, 2010 at 7:30 pmAww, they’re adorable! Love the confetti garnish.
Ladybird
August 7, 2010 at 9:05 amOh my! I’ve never tried whoopie pies before – I want! I want! I Want!
Love the sequenced photos 🙂
panda
August 11, 2010 at 9:33 pmi have my eye on this cookbook! your whoopie pies deserve a whoop whoop! very pretty!
Cath @ Moo-Lolly-Bar
August 13, 2010 at 10:29 pmLooks real cute. Bet it tastes great too!
Laura
August 19, 2010 at 10:07 amSo cute! I’m having a love affair with sprinkles lately…
Liz
August 19, 2010 at 2:01 pmI love this!! I love baking foods that catch the eye of kids! Those little sprinkles make all the difference. Great job!
ToniTones
October 10, 2010 at 1:23 pmMmm, they look fab! You had me at ‘much easier than their French counterparts’ Lol.
Love the pic with the coloured polka-dot paper 🙂
B
November 9, 2010 at 4:56 amThese turned out GREAT. This was my first time making whoppie pies and I followed the recipe to the T for both the the whoppies and the buttercream. I didnt have parchment but pam spray worked great. They took about 14 minutes in my oven. Delecious, not too sweet cakes where a wonderful contrast to the sweet buttercream… Texture was spot on perfect. Will be making again during the holidays when family comes for a surprising fun dessert.
Dai Hebert
May 25, 2011 at 3:57 amWhoopie Pies – Chocolate and Vanilla Buttercream | cookbookmaniac is definitely a very well put together blog. I dont think my web-site timetoshine.com.au has a lot in common with yours, though I can (and have) learnt quite a bit from you, cheers, Dai Hebert
Lisa
August 11, 2011 at 2:35 pmI don’t usually reply to posts, but I will in this case. Good job. I look forward to reading more