Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Malted Buttercream Filling

Now that I've become familiar with malted milk powder as an ingredient in my baking (thanks to the Baked cookbooks!), I decided it was time to test it out in some whoopie pies. Why not, right? So I toyed with several different ideas, such as whether or not I should put the malt flavor into just the cookie shells themselves, the filling, or both. Finally, I settled on doing a basic chocolate whoopie pie shell with malted buttercream filling.



I can't really explain the deliciousness of these cookies to you. I think you just need to try it for yourself! The chocolate cookie part is pure comfort food, all soft and pillowy with a dark, not too sweet chocolate taste. Then, the malted buttercream offsets the dark chocolate with its sweet, unique flavor and perfect smoothness. It was love at first bite! The crowning touch was rolling the sides of the pies in crushed Whoppers candy. Heaven! I know it has been a while since I've made whoopie pies, but I plan on turning that around. I'm gonna be making them way more often from here on out. It's a tragedy, I tell ya, that I almost forgot just how great they could be!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies
adapted from Whoopie Pies
makes 48 cookies (24 sandwich cookies)

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Malted Buttercream Filling (see below)
Whoppers candy, crushed (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray a whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray). In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and shortening until uniform and creamy. Add in the brown sugar and beat well for another 3 minutes on medium, until everything is well-incorporated and the mixture is fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat for another 2 minutes.

3. To the mixer, add half the flour mixture and half the milk; beat on low until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and remaining milk and beat until combined.

4. Using a tablespoon (or a small ice cream or cookie scoop), drop batter onto cookie sheet, spacing drops two inches apart. Bake each sheet for about 10 minutes, rotating them halfway through. They are done when each pie springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool the pies on baking sheets for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Fill whoopie pies with Malted Buttercream Filling; recipe is below. Roll the sides of the filled pies in crushed Whoppers candy, if desired.


Malted Buttercream Filling
adapted from Whoopie Pies
makes enough to fill 24 small whoopie pies

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. malted milk powder (or you can use Ovaltine)

Directions
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, and malted milk powder. Continue to beat on medium speed for another 3-4 minutes. Use to fill chocolate whoopie pie shells; yum!

Baked Sunday Mornings: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

This weekend's Baked Sunday Mornings assignment was the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies in Baked Explorations. This selection couldn't have come at a better time; I always associate red velvet with Valentine's Day, and I haven't made a whoopie pie in a while. I go through withdrawal, people! So it was definitely time for me to whip up a batch. I adore red velvet, and I've made the Baked version of red velvet cake (well, cupcakes!) before, so I was eager to experience their spin on the red velvet whoopie.



Last Valentine's Day, I made a red velvet whoopie that I saw in Food Network Magazine, and they were pretty divine. Of course, back then I was still a pretty lazy blogger and never got around to posting about those. It's funny how things can change in a year, huh? Anyway, I wondered how these would compare to the FN Magazine version, since I really didn't think I could improve upon those when I made them. But being the huge fan of the Baked boys that I am, I was pretty sure they would come through for me.

Of course, I was not disappointed! These red velvet whoopies are delicate, yet sturdy. Just slightly crisp on the outside, but perfectly tender on the inside. The filling is just perfect, even when you use lower-fat cream cheese! It tasted every bit as decadent as the full-fat version. The pairing of the outer cookies and the inner filling is just heaven. I do have to apologize for not using the recommended walnuts to roll the sides of the whoopies in. I just thought they would be great without nuts, and didn't bother with them. Maybe next time, though. As is, these pies were wonderfully rich and sweet, and to me they were the most wonderful treat I could think of to indulge in for Valentine's Day. My husband will be taking the rest in to work tomorrow; we just have to share the love!

So, another Baked recipe, another rousing success! To see what the other Baked Sunday Morning cooks thought of these little gems, simply check out the blog's main site, here.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I never really ate pumpkin-flavored anything until about a year or two ago. I have no idea why now; they're delicious! So far, I've tried out some pumpkin fudge, some pumpkin Hershey's kisses, pumpkin coffee cake, and thoroughly enjoyed them all. I even baked (and posted about) pumpkin cheddar muffins and loved every bite of those. Clearly, I have been missing out on a whole lifetime of pumpkin-y treats, and I deeply regret it now. So, obviously, I need to start making up for lost time!

These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are a wonderful step in the right direction. Yet another treat from the Baked boys' first cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, these are just further proof (not that I needed it) that these guys are geniuses. Two luscious pillows of soft pumpkin cookie encase a sweet/tart cream cheese filling that's spiked with a generous splash of maple syrup. Now, the maple syrup is actually not in the Baked version of these whoopie pies. I found an adaptation of this recipe on the blog Brown Eyed Baker. When I read that hers had maple syrup, I was sold on it. I thought that would be the perfect addition to the filling.

Once again, I used my trusty whoopie pie pan to make these. I love that thing! I don't know if it's really necessary for these, but it sure does make a perfectly-shaped little whoopie. Isn't symmetry grand?

These are some of the most delicious whoopie pies I've ever eaten, pumpkin or otherwise. The cookies are spiced perfectly, and the filling is an amazing blend of smooth, creamy, decadent, and sweet. I would have stuffed these with even more filling, if I could have, but the ratio really was spot-on. The extra filling would have just made me greedy, and gluttonous, and who needs that?

Anyway, I couldn't recommend these whoopie pies any more highly to you. They're a fantastic fall treat, easy to make, and even easier to devour (just have a napkin handy!). They would not be a bad idea to bring for dessert at Thanksgiving this year. No matter what the occasion, just try them! Serious yum.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling
adapted from Baked and Brown Eyed Baker
makes about 24 assembled whoopie pies

Ingredients
For the whoopie pies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the maple cream cheese filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly spray a whoopie pie pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the oil. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until completely combined.

3. Using a small cookie scoop or a large spoon, drop rounded, heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets (spacing 1 inch apart) or whoopie pie pan. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, making sure that a toothpick inserted into the center of a whoopie pie comes out clean. The cookies should also spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.

5. To assemble the whoopie pies, turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies have been filled and sandwiched. Refrigerate the whoopie pies for about 30 minutes to firm before serving. These will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. Do not stack them; line a baking sheet or covered container with wax paper to place the pies on.

Zucchini Whoopie Pies: My Own Creation!

I really love my new whoopie pie pan! I mean, don't get me wrong. I love a good, misshapen, free-form whoopie pie as much as the next gal. But come on, how cute are they when they're made in these perfect little circles, complete with puffy middles and nice, symmetrical sides? Thank you, Williams-Sonoma, for my new toy!

So once I had gotten my whoopie pie pan broken in by making some muffin tops in it, I decided that I should probably make actual whoopie pies in them next. I mean, that is the pan's intended purpose, right? And I still had so much zucchini on my windowsill, staring at me every day. The answer was obvious: make zucchini whoopie pies!

A quick Google search yielded plenty of options for me. Who knew there were so many variations on the zucchini whoopie pie, let alone two or three? I found endless possibilities, and based on what I found, I decided to just make up my own recipe! I couldn't find any variations that contained chocolate, and I really wanted to do a batch of regular and a batch of chocolate. I played around with ingredients and came up with what I think is a great whoopie pie. Two, actually.

For the first one, the regular zucchini whoopie, I found that I could make the cake/cookie part more delicate and cakelike by using cake flour as well as some all-purpose flour. In the past, I have found that whoopie pies can become rubbery after a day, and I'd much rather they retain that light, nearly crumbly texture I've come to expect in a whoopie. I used a nice combination of warm spices to flavor the cookies, and cut down on the amount of buttermilk I used. I figured that the excess moisture from the grated zucchini would make up for it.

The chocolate whoopie, in my opinion, turned out even more delicious than the regular variety. I used some Dutch process cocoa powder, some espresso powder, and then all the ingredients I had used in the regulars, albeit in different proportions. These turned out incredibly moist, super chocolatey, and almost too decadent to call them zucchini whoopie pies. After all, the word "zucchini" implies healthy. Nutritious, even. But these little babies definitely taste like dessert. A yummy, naughty dessert.

To fill all the pies, I made an orange-flavored cream cheese frosting. Oh, was this good! It doesn't require that much orange juice to make the citrusy flavor really come through. It offset the spicy outer shells so well; total yum. I'm still shocked that I was able to come up with something so delicious, all on my own! There's hope for me yet with this baking stuff, I think!

Zucchini Whoopie Pies

created by Bri

makes 12-15 whoopie pies

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups finely grated zucchini, squeezed to release excess moisture

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together both flours, the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and shortening until well-combined. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in vanilla and egg; mix until fully incorporated.

3. Turn the mixer down to low. In two separate additions, add in the dry ingredients, adding in the buttermilk in between the two additions. With a rubber spatula, fold in the zucchini and the walnuts, if using.

4. Using a whoopie pie pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the pan and switching it from the bottom to the upper rack halfway through baking.

5. Allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. To fill, pipe desired amount of Orange Cream Cheese Frosting onto one whoopie pie shell (recipe for frosting follows). Sandwich a second whoopie pie shell on top to complete your whoopie.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 oz. (one package) cream cheese, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups (or maybe more) confectioners' sugar, measured and then sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fresh orange juice

Directions

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fully incorporated. About 1/3 at a time, add in the confectioners' sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Make sure each 1/3 is completely mixed in before adding the next. Once combined, mix in the vanilla extract and orange juice, just until it is all mixed in. Do not overbeat.

Chocolate Zucchini Whoopie Pies:

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa

3/4 cup cake flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. espresso powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups finely grated zucchini, squeeze to remove excess moisture

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Make whoopie pies according to the above directions for the regular whoopie pies. The only difference: add in the cocoa and the espresso powder with the other dry ingredients. Then proceed as directed above. Sandwich with the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and enjoy!