RICHMOND, Va. -- Summer is a great time to spend time with your children or grandchildren in the kitchen. Our Andrias White Murdaugh is joined by author and Editor-in-Chief of Food Network Magazine Malie Carpenter who shared a fun recipe for children of all ages, Whoopie Pies and “The Big, Fun Kids Baking Book.” Find it now where books are sold.
WHOOPIE PIES
Design Your Own Recipe
Bake the Cookies
• Mix 2 cups flour, ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon each baking soda and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk. In a large bowl, beat 10 tablespoons softened butter, 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy; beat in 1 egg. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk in two batches.
• Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Scoop 16 mounds of batter (2 tablespoons batter per cookie) onto the pans, about 2 inches apart; gently form into rounds with damp fingers and smooth the tops. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Bake the cookies until they spring back when gently pressed, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven with oven mitts. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the pans, then use a spatula to move the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Make Your Filling
Beat 1 stick softened butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy; gradually beat in 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons milk, then another 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth. Mix in ½ teaspoon vanilla. Pick a flavor and stir in one of the following ingredients (or leave the filling plain).
BERRY
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
CHOCOLATE
2 tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
LEMON
2 ½ Tablespoons lemon curd
CARAMEL
¼ cup dulce de leche or thick caramel sauce
Assemble the Whoopie Pies
Sandwich about 2 tablespoons filling between 2 cookies. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
Roll the edges in any of the following:
Crushed cookies
Sprinkles
Crushed pretzels
Toasted shredded coconut
Chopped nuts
Mini chocolate chips
Tip: When you’re making sandwich cookies like these whoopie pies, try to make all the cookies the same size—that way they’ll match up when you sandwich them!
