recipe: whoopie pies (of the authentic variety) Now I’m going to tell you: About My Aunt whoopee pie recipe is SO GOOD that I will often tell people that I don’t like whoopee pies at all, because I have yet to find another recipe that I actually like. Other people’s whoopee pies are too cakey, or too cookie-like, or (as is usually the case) the filling is pure frosting, which is WAY too sweet and totally the wrong texture altogether. My Aunt whoopee pies were famous in our circles, and she generously provided them whenever demanded, particularly when visiting my other Aunt for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I ate more whoopie pies in my childhood than cupcakes, brownies or cookies combined; they were a true and strong family tradition. A proper whoopie pie is not merely some cloying abomination of sugar and fat. No no, it is delicate in its way, the sweetness ever-present and yet subdued. Please do not compare them to a Devil Dog or Moon Pie. Please do not make them with cake mix and tub frosting. A whoopie pie is a very specific delicacy and there are rules. The proper texture. A proper whoopie pie “cookie” is a medium-brown shade, fairly dry (not all oily and moist like a Little Debbie’s snack), but still somewhat densely cakelike, maybe a vein or two where the scoop let go of the batter. They crack ever so slightly, but sometimes they don’t and maybe that has something to do with the barometric pressure. I dunno, they still taste right and seem to have the right texture, so aesthetics aside, it’s fine either way. Okay, so maybe the filling is an abomination of fat and sugar. The proper whoopie pie filling is made with Crisco (which, apparently, no longer contains trans fats), butter, whole milk, sugar, a tiny smidge of flour and a regular portion of vanilla. Did you notice that it has no Fluff in it? That’s because Fluff is for fluffernutters, not whoopie pies. You will also notice that the filling is not a frosting, but a creme. While eating, one will lose all the filling out the sides and must open the pie, collect up the creme that has splooshed out back onto the bottom piece, then recreate the sandwich, only to do it all again in the next bite or two. This is the proper way to eat a whoopie pie. This process presented many lovely photo ops. Let’s take a look! Where the chocolate comes in. This one reminds me of a dusty construction site. Cocoa construction site. Ungreased cookie sheet... The cookies can be removed from the cookie sheet almost immediately, but you really need to use a metal spatula and carefully scrap them off. I like the texture underneath, it gets a little crispy as it cools and it is so so satisfying to snack on the odd unmatched whoopie pie cookie before they’re frosted. Aunts Famous Whoopie Pies makes about 14 after batter & cookie sampling brought to you by very fortunate family ties. Blend Add 1/4 c Crisco 2 c flour 1 c milk 1/4 c + 1 tbsp cocoa 1 c sugar 1.5 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla Drop by the small tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet—a tablespoon-sized bakery scoop works best. Bake exactly 8 minutes at 375o, see if a toothpick comes out clean, and if it doesn’t, bake another 2 minutes (10 total). Upon extraction from the oven, remove from pan immediately to wire rack to cool. And now the creme filling (reminder: it’s not frosting, guys) 1/2 c margarine or butter (room temp is best) 1/2 c Crisco (my mother is insistent that this MUST be Crisco and CANNOT be generic shortening, nor substituted in any way . . . but if you do get it to work with a substitution, please let me know!) 1 c sugar 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c warm whole milk (20 seconds in the microwave should do it) 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, and, much like the butter making process, 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 in a way rarely seen outside the confines of uber-processed food with chemicals you can’t pronounce that are not even available to the consumer in their pure form. Assembly As soon as the whoopie cookies are cool, match each whoopie with its closest brother in size—even if yours didn’t all come out the same size, evenly matched whoopies will look much much nicer. Spread some filling on the flat side of one, then place the second on top. Repeat. This does not need to be done immediately before serving, as the filling tends to maintain its consistency surprisingly well, and some (like my aunt) would argue that a day-old whoopie pie is even better than fresh. I like them all. No need to refrigerate, sealed plastic or plastic wrap will keep them fresh. . . . and that’s it. Congratulations! You just made the best whoopee pies known to man.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 01:08:12 +0000
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