Whoopie Pies

I don't know if I ever had a whoopie pie growing up.

I don't blame my parents, though.  I am a super picky eater and for a long time I didn't love chocolate cake, cookies or ice cream.

What the heck was wrong with me?!

Recently a new bakery opened down the street from us, and my very first purchase was a traditional whoopie pie.  It was amazing.  I loved the juxtaposition of the soft, cakey cookies with the creamy, sweet filling.  So of course, my next natural step was stalking the bakery hoping they were being sold each day setting out to learn how to make whoopie pies at home.

These are so simple to make, and it is easy to make variations of both the cookies and frosting in different flavor combinations.  Red velvet with cream cheese frosting / pumpkin with maple frosting / lemon with vanilla buttercream frosting... the possibilities are endless!

I used this recipe to make the cookies and it was perfect.  I usually have to adjust an ingredient, oven temperature or the timing, but everything was spot on.

I was sure to mix the batter well but not overbeat, as I've heard this can keep the cookies from rising in the oven.  I used a heaping tablespoon to scoop the batter onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, and the oven temperature and timing of the recipe was spot on - in exactly 9 minutes, at 375 degrees, I had 20 soft, springy cookies.

The cookies turned out cakey, chocolaty and absolutely delicious!

Jessie was begging to try one fresh from the oven.  She had to settle for a yogurt treat instead.  No chocolate for this pup (it's actually very harmful).

For the cream filling, I used my go-to vanilla buttercream recipe.  This is an easy buttercream that can also be adapted to fit many different flavor profiles.  It's a sweet frosting, but not overly sweet, so it's perfect for cakes, cupcakes, whoopie pies, oatmeal cream pies (the gears are in the works!) and whatever else you can dream up.

Ingredients

1 boxe (4 cups) confectioners sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream the shortening and butter together until combined.  Add salt.  Mix in the confectioners sugar, a little at a time, until thoroughly combined, then add the vanilla extract.  Finally, add the heavy cream, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the frosting reaches a fluffy but spreadable consistency.

It is best to add the heavy cream in slowly, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and mix well each time so that you can see how the consistency is turning out.  You may not need the entire 1/2 cup of heavy cream - I find that I usually need somewhere between 1/3 - 1/2 cup.

Turn half of the cookies over and spread on the frosting, then sandwich to the unfrosted cookies.

And there you have it - whoopie pies!

I may or may not have shoved an entire whoopie pie in my mouth before I was even done taking pictures for this post.  Don't judge.

Don't you just want to eat that???

The chocolate flavor and softness of the cookies blends so well into the sweet, vanilla bite of the velvety buttercream filling.  It actually feels like I'm eating a chocolate and vanilla flavored cloud of deliciousness.  Seriously.

Whoopie!  (Get it?)

I really need to re-think my stubbornness when it comes to certain foods.  I have been missing out!