Whoopie Pies

If you are looking for an alternative to store-bought Easter candy, these Whoopie Pies would be the perfect treat from the “Bunny”.

I hope you have been enjoying my favorite new segment on the blog  “Cooking with Ella“. I love the chance it gives me to cook with my youngest daughter, teaching her lifelong skills and the chance for us to grow and bond together.

This week Ella wanted to try her hand at Whoopie Pies and she learned some great cooking lessons along the way. If you want to have some fun with your kids try some of Ella’s recipes here.

Last Saturday afternoon Ella and I were the only one’s homes. I was in the office trying to get my post for Sweet Potato Biscuits with Beetroot Orange Marmalade done for #SundaySupper movement which needed to be posted Sunday morning.

Ella was bored and I felt bad that I was ignoring her, so I told her to find something to make or bake. Unfortunately, I was hoping it would be easy like cookies because I really needed to get this post done.

I know! I know! This goes completely against my mission of “Cooking with Ella”, but hey I am not perfect. Well, Ella decided she wanted to make Whoopie Pies. Now I have baked many desserts but I have never made whoopie pies. So Ella gets the recipe and we start gathering our ingredients.

Making Whoopie Pies would seem to be a fairly simple task. Well sort of. Getting the little cakes to puff, be the correct consistency and size took some trial and error. Ella learned, what all good cooks know, make a tester to see how the recipe works.

Oven temperature, size of cookie and cooking time. After our first test batch, we learned we needed to make the cakes a little smaller.

Then when making the third batch we realized we accidentally turned off the oven, instead of just the timer. Needless to say, that batch did not work. Still tasted good though. We were out of Crisco and used butter for the filling. She learned butter, if not softened correctly, will be a little grainy.

Things Ella learned from making her Whoopie Pies:

1. Importance of baking a tester batch.
2. Pies do not bake well with the oven turned off: turn off timer not the oven.
3. Crisco works better than butter, for a fluffy filling.
4. Making Whoopie Pies took longer than she thought. But it kept her busy all afternoon.
5. Everybody loves Whoopie Pies!

Ella’s Whoopie Pies were a big hit and she was able to take her own pie to school for (PIE DAY – 3.14.16)

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Whoopie Pies

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

An alternative to store bought Easter candy, these Whoopie Pies would be the perfect treat from the "Bunny".

Course: Dessert

Servings: 24

Author: Quinn Caudill

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour such as King Arthur
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 1 stick
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg

For filling

• 1/2 cup shortening (Optional 1 stick unsalted butter, softened)
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• food coloring Optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined.
3. Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
4. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes
5. Add egg, beating until combined well.
6. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
7. Spoon 2 tbsp. of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 greased baking sheets.
8. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 9 to 11 minutes.
9. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Filling:

1. Beat together shortening, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
2. Assemble pies:
3. Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Recipe Notes

Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Recipe first published by Quinn Caudill for Dadwhats4dinner.com © 2016 updated © 2018

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Check out some of Ella’s wonderful creations:

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Beefy Volcano Potatoes

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

Chicken Enchilada Puffs

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