HEY, HEY WHOOPIE PIES!
Ooey, gooey, chocolatey and delicious -- for the kid in all of us
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Hello!
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope all the mothers reading here will be enjoying some indulgent version of other people caring for you. You deserve it.
My kids have aged into being able to create their own versions of what caring for mama means to them (with help from teachers—who are especially great at making sure mothers feel seen!). At 8 and 12, we’re out of the toddler tromping on your breakfast-in-bed phase and aren’t yet in the too-self-absorbed-to-clip-mama-a-lilac-from-the-yard phase. It’s a sweet spot that feels precious and fleeting.
In my world, a dream Mother’s Day always involves chocolate—but to be clear, it will not (now, or ever!) involve baking with my kids—as much as I love baking with them. Because Mother’s Day should not (now, or ever!) involve doing dishes.
Anyone else with me on that?
Eating baked goods with my kids, however—yes to that! Yes, especially to Whoopie pies—a treat I didn’t even know existed in childhood and yet have fully embraced in my adult life. It can very much bring out the kid in me.
Did you grow up with Whoopie Pies? If you did, you probably have strong feelings about them, and I hope these live up. Here are my feelings about them. An excellent whoopie pie should be:
cakey-fudgy, but not in the least bit dry.
very chocolatey.
rich but not overly sweet.
chewy and toothsome in the best possible way.
The filling can be made of a few different things, but it should never taste of shortening or lard or too much sugar. It could be marshmallow (see below, I know I know—technically a MOON PIE) or Marshmallow fluff (see also, MOON PIE). It could be a mix of buttercream and marshmallow fluff or just plain buttercream, creamy and rich.
The trick is to have a soft filling that doesn’t smoosh out and holds well between the layers. I have a solution for that.
As for the cookie—these are brownie-esque, but still cakey-leaning enough to hold as a stuffed sandwich cookie. The recipe is below, with my extra special thanks to my beloved paid subscribers. I see you, I appreciate you, and wish you the most delicious of weekends.
And to those for whom Mother’s Day isn’t easy—for any reason—I’m sending extra love. I’m not suggesting eating our feelings—but I hope you find comfort, love, joy, and something delicious in your path this weekend, no matter who or what is on your heart
xx
Sarah
BLUE RIBBON WHOOPIE PIES
These deeply chocolatey Whoopie Pies use marshmallows, ever so slightly melted before being sandwiched, to give the filling a toothsome texture, plus longevity and packing power (i.e., they are easy to wrap up and transport). See the cook’s note below for alternative fillings so you can make your whoopies, your way.
COOKIES:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large cold eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
12 regular-sized marshmallows (not minis! not jumbo!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 350 on the convection setting. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.
Melt the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 50 percent power until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl; bring a saucepan filled with an inch of water to a slow simmer; set the bowl over the water, taking care not to let it touch, and stir until melted and smooth.)
Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla vigorously with a whisk until lightly yellow. Fold in the melted chocolate, and stir together until smooth.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, taking care not to over-mix. The batter should be tight and sticky (chill to firm if desired, which makes them easier to scoop).
Scoop the batter with a small cookie scoop or your smallest ice cream scoop (a heaping tablespoon-sized portion each—no bigger) onto the prepared pan, keeping 1 1/2 to 2 inches between them; you should have two dozen cookies. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Bake until the cookies are set and spring back when lightly touched— 6 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly.
Transfer half of the cookies to a rack. Turn the remaining cookies on the pan over, flat side up. Place one marshmallow on top of each; return the pan to the oven and cook until the marshmallow begins to soften and puff, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for about 3 minutes, then top with the cooled cookie halves, pressing lightly to spread the marshmallow across the inside to make sandwiches.
Cool whoopie pies completely on a wire rack and serve cool, or store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
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FILLING (OPTION 2): MARSHMALLOW FLUFF*
For a softer filling, transfer 2 cups marshmallow fluff to a piping bag fitted with the largest tip. Bake the whoopee pies up until step 5. Cool completely. Flip half the whoopee pies over, and pipe on the marshmallow fluff. Top with the remaining cookie halves; chill slightly to set before serving (*this version will squish out more than the marshmallows, but is fast and easy, and has a nice, creamy core).
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FILLING (OPTION 3): FLUFFY BUTTERCREAM*
For a more traditional filling, cream together 14 tablespoons (room temperature) unsalted butter with 2 cups powdered sugar on low speed. Add a pinch fine sea or iodized salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. Fold in 10 oz marshmallow fluff until evenly combined. Chill 30 minutes, then fold again. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Flip half the whoopie pies over, and pipe on the filling. Top with the remaining cookie halves (*this filling is rich but balanced, and will hold more firmly between the cookies).
DOUBLE DIP:
Give these stuffed cookies the double-chocolate treatment with a dip in melted chocolate. Here’s how: Melt 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a double broiler over low heat until melted and smooth, or microwave in a microwave-safe bowl on low power for 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds, until melted and smooth. Dip ⅓ of the sandwiched whoopie pies into the chocolate and lay on wax paper or a non-stick-sprayed rack to let the excess chocolate drip down. Just before set, sprinkle with Maldon (flaky) sea salt. Cool until chocolate is completely set.
Photos for this post by Kate Sears. Prop Styling by Sarah Copeland + Kate Sears. Food Styling by Sarah Copeland.
Thank you, Sarah! I used to make these by the dozens for the kids bake sales at school. Always sold out. My kitchen was huge and everywhere you looked, there was chocolate whoopie pie pieces, waiting for the yummy marshmallow inside to be applied! I am printing this recipe out and sending some to my son, now 45, for his enjoyment!