Whoppie Pies

Friday is the new I'm not cooking Saturday. We are going to a potluck at the farm where we get our produce tomorrow so I knew I'd need to cook for that. So, instead, I didn't cook supper tonight. I do however have a recipe to post.

The recipe is Whoopie Pies. I know, the name doesn't make sense to most Texans and I've gotten teased a lot about the name since being here. However, where I am from in the East (Virginia-Pennsylvania), whoopie pies are a common thing that you can find at Old Order Mennonite and Amish farmer's markets in addition to your regular Martin's grocery store. I can't find them here so I've had to make my own. (In the pictures, the whoopie pies are the cake and filling looking things. The other star shaped cookies are Linzer cookies which I'll explain more about at closer to Christmas cookie time).

For years, I just made my family's whoopie pie recipe, somewhat hesistantly since it had raw eggs in the filling. I stumbled across this recipe on Epicurious last year rather by accident, tried it, and these have become our favorite whoopie pies. I use an alternate filling to the marshmallow fluff that was in the review section of the recipe. Measure 1 cup of whole milk into small saucepan. Add 5 tablespoons of sifted flour. (I use Wondra flour. No lumps) Cook on medium heat until thick. Cool. Cream together 1/2 cup (a stick) butter & 1/2 cup shortening till creamy. Add 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. With mixer on slow speed, add the cooled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time. Beat on medium high for 3 - 4 minutes or until mixture has a fluffy-creamy texture. The filling is ready to use.

The filling isn't as sweet (which we like) and the cake isn't quite as moist (which is ok, because they are still really moist), but I don't feel bad letting my 3 year old and 1 1/2 year old eat them. No worries about salmonella poisoning with these cookies. I also don't make them quite as big as the recipe calls for. When I make the recipe, I get about 18 - 24 finished cookies instead of just 8 (that's dropping rounded tablespoons of batter onto the pan).

I think one is calling my name now!