The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads
It may not be the night before Christmas, but visions of holiday desserts are dancing in my head. Just the other night I drifted off to sleep (all snug in my bed) thinking about the wonderful pumpkin whoopie pies a friend of mine recently made. The pre-sleep thoughts turned into a dream of me devouring a giant chocolate whoopie pie with peppermint filling. Yum!
The holidays bring with them many evenings of baking and it is always more fun with friends. Jen and I got together with the idea of turning my dream into reality! I had to go recipe hunting online and was having a hard time coming up with just the right thing. We ended up using the Epicurious whoopie pie recipe and then Jen and I experimented with some frosting recipes until we found a good, fluffy one.
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
To make the cakes:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. It will take about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld. Add egg, beating until everything is well combined. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
Spoon heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until tops are puffy and cakes spring back when touched, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.
Filling ingredients:
- 12 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
- candy canes or peppermint candy
To make the filling:
Beat the butter and powdered sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in the marshmallow creme until incorporated.
Assemble the pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on the flat sides of half of the cakes. Top them with the remaining cakes. Roll the pies in crushed peppermint candies covering the exposed filling.
This is not a dream, this is how they will look!
Once assembled and the first bite is taken, you will be pleasantly surprised by the flavor combination. The cake is rich; cocoa prevails over sugar. This recipe calls for Dutch-processed (which means the cocoa has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity) and creates a lovely, dark cake. The texture, density, and amount of cake is in perfect proportion to the light, yet sturdy mint filling which doesn’t ooze out when you take a bite. The crushed candy cane adds an interesting and satisfying third texture to the dessert. You can adjust the size of your peppermint pieces according to your taste, but personally we loved the big crunchy pieces.
If that isn’t enough to convince you to whip up a batch, here are a few added benefits:
- They are easier to eat than cupcakes (you don’t get frosting on your nose)
- There is always enough frosting to last until the end of the cake (unless you are a squisher…and you know who you are)
- They are good for the earth (no paper muffin cup needed)
- They vary in flavor, size and shape so you can invent your own!
Our version of whoopie pie is pretty close to what seems to be the “traditional” recipe (dark chocolate cake with white vanilla or marshmallow filling). We just added a little winter flair and some honest crunch. For more information on this popular treat, please read the New York Times article by Micheline Maynard: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/dining/18whoop.html.
Whoopie!!!
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These look TOTALLY awesome! Thanks for a wonderful idea………
Thanks for this recipe. I have another one that I think is more complicated, but delicious. We ate whoopie pies in Lancaster but made the mistake of not buying a book with the recipe to make them. They are delicious and if you wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them, you can delight everyone. Usually the recipe makes more than two people need. I am anxious to try these with peppermint in the filling.