Whoopppeeeee! Getting a taste of Whoopie Pies

 

 

The last man standing - chocolate and peanut butter whoopie

Bianca and I have been talking about whoopie pies for a while. Apparently they are going to be the new macaron, so obviously we have to try the latest baking trend. Finally it’s been rainy enough to force me into the kitchen, so I headed straight for Martha Stewart and chose the chocolate and peanut butter whoopie pies as the first port of call.

The recipe called to drop ‘tablespoons’ of mixture on to a baking tray. The resulting whoopie pies were bigger than I had expected, but nevertheless they were delish! I think that the best tip would be to go for a smaller scoop of cake mixture as it spreads quite a lot.

I went for a different peanut butter than the one suggested by Martha (which contained a bit too much butter for my liking). I added a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and squeezed a lemon to counteract the sweetness. I can’t find the recipe again so sorry, I’ll have to guess it.

Finally, my whoopie pies, which look a bit like flying saucers, are iced with melted chocolate and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands to add an element of party!

Chocolate whoopie pies (from Martha)

1. • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
   • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
   • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
   • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
   • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
   • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
   • 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
   • 1 large egg
   • 1 cup whole milk
   • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

   Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.

2. Add butter, shortening, and sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
3. Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of oven, 10 minutes; switch the positions of the baking sheets, and rotate each one. Continue baking until the cookies spring back to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes more.
4. Remove from oven; let cookies cool on baking sheets, 10 minutes.Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meanwhile, line a cooled baking sheet with a new piece of parchment; repeat process with remaining batter.
5. Spread 1 scant tablespoon buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies.Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Transfer pies to a tray. 

Peanut butter icing

1. • 1 jar of smooth peanut butter
   • 2 cups of icing sugar
   • milk
   • 1 tblspn butter
   • vanilla essence

Beat the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and add milk gradually until fluffy. Add the peanut butter and keep beating until pale and fluffy. Add a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and drizzle in the lemon juice to taste. It shouldn’t be too sweet or too salty.

 

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Tags: baking, chocolate cake, cupcakes, macarons, peanut butter frosting, whoopie pies