I realized as I dug out this recipe that I’m now 3 for 3 in my first columns here at dcfüd:  as it turns out, all desserts!  I’ll get to some savory recipes soon, I can promise you that, but I’m in the midst of a pitched desserts battle with one of my coworkers and the one-upping continues…!

Whoopie pies (in case you haven’t yet had the pleasure) are cake-like sandwich cookies with a buttercream-style filling.  I heard once that they’re named for the cheer that farmers would give when they discovered these treats in their packed lunches.  None of my colleagues shouted when I presented these, but I did get great reviews all around.

This recipe adapts the filling slightly into a marshmallow buttercream, which goes really nicely with the cake-like cookies and tastes quite a bit like an Oreo.  I like a bit more vanilla than most people in both elements of this dessert, so you can always reel that in a bit without harming the taste.

And considering the sheer amount of butter in this recipe, be sure to make them for a crowd!

Ingredients

Cookies

3 ½ cups flour

1 tsp salt (table salt, not kosher here)

1 ½ cups cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups buttermilk at room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

Filling

2 sticks butter at room temperature

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

7 ½ oz marshmallow fluff (Kraft’s Marshmallow Kreme worked for me here in)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder, then set aside.  Prepare two baking sheets – you’ll need either silicone baking mats or parchment paper on each one.

Cream together the butter and sugar in your mixer on medium or medium-high speed until lightened in color and fluffy, maybe three minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and make sure that each is fully incorporated before adding the next.  Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, then add the dry ingredients, but only mix the dry ingredients until combined.  (You may need to scrape the mixing bowl, especially on the bottom, to ensure that the batter fully incorporated the cocoa powder).

Using a disher or scoop, drop the batter in 1-oz portions onto the baking sheets.  You should be able to fit 12 per pan, but make sure they have enough room to spread out.  Bake for 12 minutes, then allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  (You may not have quite enough batter for all 24 filled cookies if you’ve been generous with your disher; I ended up with 22).

For the filling, beat the butter in your mixer for a couple of minutes until smooth, then add the confectioner’s sugar.  Be careful at this step, as the powdered sugar will easily fly out of the bowl if you start the mixer too quickly.  Once combined, beat in the marshmallow fluff and the vanilla and continue mixing for a couple of more minutes until fluffy.

Match cookies up by size, then fill by spooning (or piping with a pastry bag) the filling onto the center of one cookie at a time.  Press together to spread the filling evenly.

Enjoy!

-HML

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