Whoopie Pies

I was already toying with making whoopie pies this week as a great way to have more chocolate in our lives and to use up the extra cream cheese frosting I made for the red velvet cupcakes last week. And then a friend of mine posted this New York Times article and (as though I needed extra encouragement) there was no way I would make anything else this week.

The article surprised me because, being from Lancaster County, I couldn't believe that anyone other than the Pennsylvania Dutch would lay claim to having created such a rich, chocolate-y, sugary treat. The people who brought us shoo-fly pie (so named because it is so sweet the flies had to be shooed away while the pies cooled on the windowsill). So in honor of the county of my birth, and the ever-popular Amish baked goods stand on Rt. 741, here is a great whoopie pie recipe. Be forewarned that these are a pretty big hit with law students, husbands, and obviously anyone from Lancaster County - so be prepared to share.

Whoopie Pies

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, dutch processed
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk and vanilla extract.

2. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on high for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated; scrapping down the sides as needed.

3. Reduce speed to low. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and then 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, ending with adding the last of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and continue to mix until fully incorporated.

4. On a pan lined with parchment paper, spoon about 1/8 cup mounds of the batter about 2" apart. I did 6 per pan to make sure they didn't bake together, but they didn't really spread too much.

5. Bake for 7 minutes on the lower oven rack and 5 minutes on the upper oven rack. Remove to a cooling rack and, when completely cooled, ice the flat sides with this frosting and sandwich two halves together.