Vanilla Whoopie Pies With Chocolate Buttercream Food

CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Gradually add in the milk, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed. The batter might curdle, but don't worry, it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
• Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
• Using a 1-oz cookie or ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto the prepared baking pan 2″ apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla, one cup of powdered sugar, and one tbsp of milk. Mix well. Add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with 1 tbsp of milk at a time. Add in the last tbsp of milk if needed for the desired consistency.
• Transfer buttercream to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies.

CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
• Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, place dough onto a parchment-lined baking pan, 12 per pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Make the vanilla buttercream: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 3 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining cup sugar to reach desired consistency.
• Transfer buttercream to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe 2 tablespoons buttercream onto the flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies.

MOCHA WHOOPIE PIES WITH CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the brown sugar, butter and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 batches, beating after each addition until just combined.
• Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of batter onto the baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Moisten your fingers and gently form each into a round and slightly smooth the top of each mound. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake until the tops of the cookies bounce back when gently touched, rotating the trays halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add half of the confectioners' sugar, beating. Beat in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, then add the remaining sugar and beat until incorporated, smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the dulce de leche until smooth.
• Flip half of the cookies over and spread the bottoms with the filling. Top each with another cookie--bottoms facing in--to make a sandwich.
• Yield: 12 whoopie pies
• Active Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours (includes chilling and cooling times)
• Ease of preparation: easy

VANILLA WHOOPIE PIES WITH MARSHMALLOW FILLING

Steps:

• For the cookies: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the granulated sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 batches, beating after each addition until just combined.
• Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of batter onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Moisten your fingers and gently form each mound into a round and slightly smooth the top. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake, rotating the trays halfway through, until the tops of the cookies bounce back when gently touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the marshmallow filling: Put the salt and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy. On high speed, gradually add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and beat until stiff and shiny.
• Meanwhile, combine the corn syrup, 1/2 cup water and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches the firm-ball stage, about 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Turn on the mixer to medium speed. Slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, then beat on high until the mixture is thick, fluffy and cool, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Let cool completely.
• To assemble the whoopie pies, flip half of the cookies over on a work surface and spread them with the filling. Top each with another cookie, bottom facing in, to make a sandwich.

CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES

Steps:

• Prep oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats). Set aside.
• Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using). Set aside.
• Cream butter and brown sugar. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment), cream together the butter and brown sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined.
• Add egg and vanilla. Mix in the egg and vanilla until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
• Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate the flour mixture in 3 additions, with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Mix in until just combined with each addition. Be careful to not overmix at this point.
• Scoop the cookies Using a 1 ½-tablespoon cooking scoop, scoop the whoopie pie batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the batter for each whoopie pie before placing them in the oven.
• Bake. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer the chocolate cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting. In your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer beat the butter for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, about a ½ cup at a time, mixing on low speed, in each addition until well combined.
• Add remaining frosting ingredients. Add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and continue mixing for about 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Assemble the whoopie pies. Pair up the whoopie pies according to size. Once the cookies have cooled, pipe on the vanilla frosting onto a flat side of one cookie. I pipe just enough so there's a border of cookie, to give the frosting room when I press the two cookies together. Top with a second cookie to make a "sandwich" by gently pressing the two cookie rounds together and pressing the frosting to the edge. Continue assembling the rest of the whoopie pies.

CHOCOLATE GRASSHOPPER WHOOPIE PIES WITH MINTY GREEN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready two parchment-lined baking sheets.
• To make the whoopies, whisk together the cocoa powder, water, and espresso powder (if using) in a glass liquid measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. Whisk together the brown sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds; whisk in the egg and then the buttermilk, then sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl, one at a time, vigorously whisking after each. Fold half of the flour into the bowl with a flexible spatula, followed by the cocoa powder mixture, and then the other half of the flour. Fold just until the last streak of flour disappears. Don't overmix.
• Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter, using a portion scoop or measuring spoons, evenly placing 12 on each prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, rotating and swapping the placement of the sheets at the halfway point, until the pies are dry to the touch and bounce back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the pans before filling. Repeat with any remaining batter.
• To make the buttercream, beat together the butter, peppermint extract, and salt on medium-low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup (60 grams) at a time, alternating with splashes of the cream, scraping the bowl with a flexible spatula, as needed. Add the food coloring, a drop at a time, until you achieve green nirvana, and beat for an additional 3 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Turn half of the pies upside down, top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling, and cover with an upturned pie, pressing gently. Place the green sparkling sugar in a shallow bowl and roll the edges of the just-filled pies in the sugar and serve. Keep the whoopies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.