If I say the words chocolate and peanut butter together would it be enough to convince you to read further?
Chocolate and Peanut Butter.
It worked!
Peanut Butter pairs amazingly well with chocolate and with so many other ingredients too. First there’s the obvious-PB & J. But here’s a few more to think about: peanut butter and bananas (An Elvis Fav), Peanut Butter and Celery (Think Ants On A Log, my personal fav), and Peanut Butter and Fluff (Fluffernutters!).
We made these Whoopie Pies for my Mom’s book club. I first tried the frosting months ago on chocolate cupcakes and it was delicious, I knew it would make a fantastic filling for these chocolate whoopie pies as well. To be completely honest I never even taste tested one but I heard they tasted really great! And I can vouch for the peanut butter filling because I shoveled more of that in my mouth than I’d like to admit!
Here's what you'll need
Start with the dry: in goes the flour
Then baking powder, baking soda and salt
Then the cocoa powder. We use our favorite, Valrhona
Whisk that all together
Now cream together butter and sugar
Add in the eggs, one at a time
Add the buttermilk
And the vanilla
Ok…now slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined
Scoop approx 1oz scoops onto baking sheet or whoopie pie pan
These look light and fluffy. When you gently touch them they spring back…perfect
Now for the filling. Confectioners' sugar first
Peanut Butter. Yum!!!
Softened butter
Vanilla
And salt. Mix on medium-low speed, scraping the bowl down as necessary
Slowly pour in the heavy cream then increase the speed to high and beat until smooth
Put a dollop on half the cakes. Don't skimp on the filling!
Finish off the whoopie pies by putting the tops on!
Peanut butter and chocolate = A match made in heaven!
For the Whoopie Pies
Yield: about 2 dozen whoopie pies
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Peanut Butter Filling
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you’re using a whoopie pie pan spray with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl sift the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder together. (Don’t skip the sifting, you will have lumps of cocoa powder in your cookies if you do). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Drop the batter onto the prepared baking pans, 12 cookies per pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes (rotating the pans halfway through) until the cookies spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
To make the filling, place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
When the cookies have cooled completely, pair them up by size. Spread (or pipe) a dollop of the filling on the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Sandwich the cookies, pressing together to push the filling to the edges.
Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, Filling from Brown Eyed Baker
