The Whoopie Pie

"Hi, my name is Whoopie Pie ("... Hi, Whoopie Pie..."), and I'm a delicious Pennsylvania Dutch baked good."

So, Tim and I baked whoopie pies several nights ago, and since no one seems to know what a whoopie pie is (shocking!! appalling!!), I decided to post a couple recipes below. If you ever visit Amish country, you can find whoopie pies in pretty much any bakery or grocery store. I've even purchased them from the occasional roadside stand that sells fresh produce, breads, jams, pies, and other desserts. Basically, a whoopie pie consists of two cakelike chocolate cookies with cream in the middle (like a delicious softie Oreo).

Here's a recipe for genuine whoopie pies (makes 12), care of AllRecipes.com:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Sift together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, cocoa, and 1 cup sugar. Set aside.

(2) In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, oil, 1 tsp vanilla, and 3/4 cup milk until well blended. Gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the greased cookie sheets.

(3) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until firm. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

(4) To make the filling: in a medium saucepan, whisk together the 1/2 cup milk and 2 1/2 Tbsp flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thick. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, beat together the shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Stir in the cooked milk mixture and beat for an additional 20 minutes, until really fluffy. Spread the filling between two cookies. Enjoy!

When Tim and I made them the other night, we actually pressed the "Easy Button" and used a much simpler recipe that calls for Devil's Food cake mix. They weren't genuine whoopie pies (the cakes were too light and fluffy), but they made for a delicious dessert nonetheless. That recipe is also available on AllRecipes.com at this link.

Happy baking!