Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Frosting

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!

 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

For the Whoopie Pies

  • 3 1/2 cup  all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Filling

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • 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.
Keyword cake