Chocolate Covered Christmas ~ Day 11
Whoopie Pies have been around for a long time. I am from Pennsylvania and there is a huge debate about whether they originated here in the Amish Country or in New England. It all depends on who you talk to, or where you look it up for that matter. All I know is whoopie pies are a fun and delicious thing to make and eat so I personally don't care who came up with the idea, I'm just glad they did. When I was a kid, my mom made really good whoopie pies. They were a hot bake sale item so when she was making them for an event, we got to eat a few. Back then, it was just a basic chocolate cookie with vanilla icing inside. Now there are Whoopie Pie books with all sorts of recipes for fun and interesting flavor combinations. I stuck with the basics here. Why mess with a good thing? I just jazzed up the edges with broken candy canes for the holidays. Simple but pretty.
*Note ~ The icing recipe that I use has egg whites in it. It's an old recipe and it's really good so I like to use it but if you prefer not to use egg whites I am including a separate icing recipe that comes from the Whoopie Pies book. It uses marshmallow cream instead.
- cookies
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup hot water
- icing
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together sugar, shortening and eggs. Beat until fluffy.
- Sift together flour, cocoa and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to mixture. Beat until smooth.
- Drop by teaspoons onto baking sheet (I use a small cookie scoop so my cookies are all the same size).
- Bake for 8 minutes or until cookie bounces back when touched.
- Cool. Sandwich cookies together with generous amount of icing.
- Combine egg whites, vanilla, milk and 2 cups of confectioner's sugar. Beat until well combined. Add 2 more cups confectioner's sugar and shortening. Beat until fluffy.
- 1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.