For generations, my family has worked in restaurants. My grandparents even ran their own for several years. What I have learned from this background is that it’s vital to create your own takes on foods that are already familiar to your patrons rather than solely trying to reinvent the wheel. My family’s from Maine, so one of our go-to recipes was the whoopie pie, which is the official Maine state treat. I personally appreciate this recipe for its connections to the region where I was raised, as well as its more traditional nature, shown by its use of shortening over butter. I hope that you too find charm in this unique cookie-cake hybrid.
First, cream together 6 tablespoons of shortening and 1 cup of sugar. To do this, vigorously beat the two ingredients in a bowl until they become white and rather fluffy, kind of like snow. (Hopefully this is the only snow we’ll be seeing any time soon!) This process was a little confusing to me, as I am quite the novice when it comes to baking with shortening. Just keep at it, however, and you’ll be fine. Next, beat in an egg and mix until the batter is consistent throughout. Add 2 cups of flour, 6 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt to the bowl. In a measuring cup, combine 1 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and stir together. Pour the wet ingredients into the rest of your batter and stir until there is even consistency. That’s it! You have your batter for your whoopie pies! Use a spoon to evenly distribute the treats onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes. You will want to leave a couple of inches in between the cookies as they are known to expand in the oven. Once they are done baking, remove them from their sheet and place them on a clear surface to cool. We will return to them momentarily.
To make the cream filling, simply beat together 1 cup of shortening, 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a splash of milk and 12 tablespoons of marshmallow fluff. If you use too much milk, the frosting will be too runny and won’t hold in between two cookies. Your best bet would be to add an eighth of a cup and mix it in. Continue to add small amounts of milk until you get a thickness that is to your taste. Once the cookies have cooled, spoon some frosting onto the flat side of the cookie and use a second one to form a sandwich. I find that whoopie pies are best after they have cooled inside of a refrigerator, but they can also be eaten immediately. I hope you enjoy my family’s take on this classic New England treat. Happy baking!
Eat Your Heart Out: Whoopie pies
