RICHMOND, Va. -- Whoopie Pies are a great dessert anytime but especially during the holidays. Cindy Kienzle, creator of the Hungry Monkey Baking Company makes her Virginia This Morning debut with her Holiday Whoopie Pies. For gift ideas, information and more, visit the website.
Holiday Whoopie Pies
Makes 12 large whoopie pies
Whoopie Pies
· 1 + 1/2 cups sugar
· 1/2 cup butter
· 2 large eggs
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil
· 1 + ½ tsp vanilla extract
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (we love Hershey's); do NOT use Dutch process cocoa in this recipe
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 + 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon table salt
· 1 + 1/2 cups whole milk
Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Filling
· 2 cups shortening (Crisco hard shortening)
· 4 cups confectioners' sugar
· 2 C Marshmallow Fluff (1 1/3 jar)
· Dash salt
· 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
· 1/3 Cup plus 3 TBS whole milk (plus a couple of tablespoons more if frosting is too thick)
· Food coloring is optional –coloring for holiday and other themes (red for Christmas; blue for Hanukkah, etc.). We prefer gel food coloring, but you can use liquid as well. Start out with a very small amount, add more as needed to get desired color(s). Be sure to put the filling into separate bowls if you want to color it in more than one color.
Decorations
· Holiday color Sprinkles – jimmies work well (to roll edges in, optional)
Equipment
· You will need a piping bag with large round tip OR large Ziploc bag with a scissors
· Parchment
· A 1/3 cup retractable ice cream scoop OR a 1/3 cup measuring cup (1/4 cup for mini whoopie pies)
· Stand mixer with paddle attachment OR hand mixer
· 2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment or non-stick cooking mats
· Metal and rubber spatulas
· Small spoon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°, or preheat a convection oven to 315°
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and eggs together until well combined. Add the oil and vanilla and beat again.
In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry mixture to the egg mixture and beat or stir to blend. Add half the milk and beat again. Add the remaining dry mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining milk and beat until blended. Do NOT overmix! If you have time, let the batter sit for 10 minutes to allow the gluten in the flour to rest. It’s not necessary, but it will give you the smooth top that is most associated with whoopie pies. If you don’t let it rest, it will still taste great, but the tops will crack a little.
Using a large, 1/3 cup, retractable [ice cream] scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup, drop approximately 24 circles of batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes (could be shorter or longer – every oven is different), rotating the pans after 6 minutes, and bake until you lightly touch it and it springs back. Cool completely. If you would like to make mini whoopie pies, use a ¼ cup measure.
For the filling
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all ingredients except the milk and beat well. Add just enough milk to achieve a creamy consistency. Stir in food coloring. Use sparingly drop by drop or just a little gel food coloring, until you get desired color. Place cream filling into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip OR put into a large Ziploc bag and snip the bottom corner so you can easily “pipe” a nice amount on one side of a cooled round.
Match up the rounds to about the same size and fill one side with the filling. Place top on and, if you wish to further decorate, you can run the sides of the whoopie pie into sprinkles (or even mini chocolate chips) for a fun and festive look. Refrigerate in an airtight container! (Whoopie Pies are even better the second day!)
