Until a few months ago I had never heard of a whoopie pie. And I don’t even remember how the subject of whoopie pies came up, but I’m glad it did. They’re adorable and with each bite I was taken back to years ago noshing on s’mores at a bonfire.
Ok…I have a microwavable s’mores kit and I use it weekly. Anyways, the details aren’t important, it’s the whoopie that matters.
A whoopie pie is like a sandwich cookie; it’s made with 2 cake-like cookies and a creamy filling. Traditional whoopie pies are made with vegetable shortening, not butter. I think the reason for the vegetable shortening is to give the cakes a lightness and to help form their rounded shape.
The recipe for whoopie pies originated with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania where they were originally made with leftover batter.
The s’mores whoopie is the first we tried and they were so decadent. The s’mores flavor was exactly what we were hoping for. Since then we’ve tried a few others; we’ll make sure to post those too.
Note: Bob’s Red Mill brand graham flour can be found at most local grocery stores, I know we had no trouble finding it. I went to Whole Foods thinking that they would be most likely to carry graham flour. I was wrong. I ended up finding it at my small local grocery store. Check the organics section near the other Bob’s Red Mill products: almond flour, ground flaxseed, potato flour, etc.
Ingredients
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) brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Marshmallow Filling:
1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. We used whoopie pie pans but you can also use baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the 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 the prepared baking sheets (or whoopie pie pans) 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 cooling rack.
To make the marshmallow filling, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start on low speed 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.
To 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.
To assemble the whoopie pies, pipe or spread 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.
Makes 48 assembled 2-inch whoopies
Source: Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley & Amy Treadwell
