Putting the Whoop Whoop in Whoopie Pie!

http://shaunasever.com/2010/04/whoopie-pies.htm

I made these puppies for my boss as a birthday gift and he LOVED them! It was my first attempt at making a whoopie pie and I was very proud of the outcome. 

This recipe also gave me an excuse to buy two baking tools I've been wanting for some time, a 2 tablespoon scoop and a sifter. The scoop will make your life easier since it makes portioning out the batter and filling evenly a breeze!

Recipe makes 8 whoopie pies

Ingredients for the cakes:

• 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (60-62% cacao–I used Ghiradelli 60% chips and it was fine)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons canola oil [I used vegetable oil.]
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour (sift first, then measure)
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• [I didn't have any buttermilk on hand so I made my own using this buttermilk substitution recipe http://frugalliving.about.com/od/condimentsandspices/r/Buttermilk_Sub.htm and it worked out just fine :). Saved me some $ as well.]

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1/2 c Butter (room temp is best)
• 1/2 c Crisco Shortening
• 1 c White sugar [Don't try to use larger granulated sugar, you will be left with crunchy sugar granules in your filling.]
• 1 tbsp  Flour
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 c Warm whole milk (20 seconds in the microwave should do it...I used a mixture of milk and heavy whipping cream.]

Directions for the cakes:

1. Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Line two unrimmed baking sheets (or invert two rimmed half-sheet pans) with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water or in a microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds. Let cool until the chocolate is no longer warm to the touch, but still fluid.
3. While the chocolate is cooling, place the brown sugar, egg, oil and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment [I am not lucky enough to own one of those fancy electric mixers, so, I simply placed the ingredients in a bowl and used a regular handheld electric mixer with a beater attachment]. Beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes–the mixture will become smooth and paler in color. Reduce the speed to low and stir in the melted chocolate.
4. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in three additions on low speed, alternating with the buttermilk, beating just until each addition begins to disappear into the batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With a 1-ounce (2 tablespoons) ice cream scoop, portion the batter onto the sheets, 8 evenly spaced mounds per sheet.
5. Bake one sheet at a time, rotating halfway through baking, until the centers spring back when lightly touched, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before transferring the cakes to the rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to fill.

Directions for the filling:

1. Beat with a mixer (stand or hand, your choice) for-freakin-ever. It will start out just like, well, lumps of Crisco floating in milk, then bits will get smaller and smaller, then it’ll slosh around for a little bit, you’ll be wondering if this will ever become anything or if you maybe messed it up somehow. Suddenly, about five minutes later, your mix will look weird for a second, and within moments your slushy mess will turn into a glorious white creme, smooth and perfect!

Assembling the cakes:

Pair up cakes that are the closest in shape/size, using 2 tablespoon scoop apply a scoop of filling in between the two cakes and press until filling meets up with the ends of the cakes [see picture above.].

ENJOY!