Whoopie Pies

We know, we know: cupcakes are great. But they’re everywhere, in every size and flavor, and everyone seems to have an opinion on the city’s finest (Magnolia, Buttercup, Baked by Melissa). It’s enough to leave us with a serious case of cupcake fatigue. So when it’s time to pull out the baking sheets and turn out something sweet, we make the official state treat of Maine: the humble whoopie pie. These dense chocolate cakes sandwiched together with a sweet, creamy filling were the stuff of Scott’s childhood. And now they are part of Owen’s.

This recipe will yield about a dozen nicely-sized pies.

Method:

For the cakes:

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

2 egg yolks (save the whites for the filling)

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

5 tbl. cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, milk and vanilla and beat to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of batter onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat, leaving a bit of room for them to spread. Bake 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely.

For the filling:

1/2 c. shortening

2 c. confectioner’s sugar

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbl. marshmallow fluff

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together all of the filling ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Spread a few tablespoons of filling on one of the cakes and sandwich it with another. Repeat with the remaining cakes.