Chocolate Whoopie Pie Recipe

If you have never heard of chocolate whoopie pie recipes and if you have never eaten one you probably don't live on the East Coast. You also have been missing out on one of life's little pleasures.

You can have your cupcakes, your small tarts, your tea worthy cookies; a whoopie pie is a handful of chocolaty comfort. Two large cake-like cookies hold a creamy vanilla filling that oozes into your mouth when you bite. The only real appropriate accompaniment to a whoopie pie is a tall, cold glass of milk.

History of Whoopie Pies

No one really knows where whoopie pies came from or how they were named. They are Amish in origin, or seem to be and the story goes that the cookies were made from left over cake batter. They would be made so as not to waste a thing and then tucked into the lunches of school children. According to the story when the children would unpack their lunches and find the treats they would yell, "Whoopie!"

Traditionally the filling is made with vegetable shortening and not butter. The can also be filled with Marshmallow Fluff or cream cheese frosting. While tradition dictates chocolate whoopie pies, recipes abound for numerous variations from pumpkin to chocolate mint.

Here is the basic recipe.

• 2 2/3 c flour
• 1/2 c Hershey’s Dark cocoa powder or other good cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c Crisco shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c full fat buttermilk
• 1/2 c hot coffee
• Cream Filling -recipe follows

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Put parchment or a silicon liner on a large cookie sheet.
3. Combine dry ingredients.
4. Combine coffee and buttermilk
5. In another bowl beat sugar and shortening until fluffy; add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
6. Add flour mixture and sour milk mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour.
7. Drop by generous tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, flatten slightly with wet fingers.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched.
9. Remove and cool completely.

Cream Filling:

• 1 c half and half
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c butter
• 1/2 cup shortening (or all shortening)

1. Whisk the half and half and the flour until there are no lumps and the mixture is perfectly smooth.
2. Microwave, stirring every minute until it becomes like a thick paste.
3. Set aside to cool completely.
4. Beat the sugar, vanilla, shortening, and butter until it is blended and very fluffy.
5. Beat in the cooled flour mixture.
6. Whip until light and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes.

The filling is very temperamental in the heat. If the room is warm you may need to chill it for awhile and try again. The texture is right when the filling mounds on a spoon like whipped cream.

Assemble Whoopie Pies:

1. Put a spoonful of the filling on the flat bottom side of one of the cookies.
2. Spread it carefully to the sides, keeping it thicker in the middle.
3. Top with another cookie, so that the flat parts are against the filling.
4. Refrigerate.

16 large whoopie pies.

Whoopie pies are a delicious after school treat. It is best to keep the cookies in a tightly covered container and the filling in the refrigerator and only fill them as you need them. Once they are filled they will need to be refrigerated unless you use the Marshmallow Fluff.

Other whoopie pie recipes follow:

• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
• Oatmeal Whoopie Pies
• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
• Banana Whoopie Pies
• Coconut Whoopie Pies
• Gingerbread and Lemon Whoopie pies