Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Garage Sales and Whoopie Pies

Where to start with this one... As you can see I've been on a month's hiatus and after this post you'll probably understand why. A basement of  leftover junk from my old apartment, a fully furnished and closet-stuffed new apartment, and a garage filled with my grandfather's belongings could only lead to one thing: a garage sale! The sale could basically be summed up with this statement:  I haven't used, looked at or wanted the items for months (maybe even years) and am now offended that someone is not willing to spend more than $1 on them. It was exhausting and after a full day's work and maybe $150 later I decided next time I accumulate an absurd amount of things I will do the ethical thing and donate them! So...where do the whoopie pies fall into all this? Ask yourself two questions:

1. Why wouldn't it be a good idea to bake from 12:00A.M to 2:00 A.M the night before a day of manual labor?
2. Why would someone want to buy a whoopie pie for $2 when they could get a dining room set for the same price? 

Yup! Why wasn't anyone around to ask me these questions when I began this baking adventure? Well I guess my husband was. Good thing he is already accustomed to the fact that I can usually only hear one voice (mine). Needless to say thank you Jim for driving to every convenient store in Essex County to find me marshmallow fluff at 11 o'clock at night.

Excited by my new purchase of Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell  (a must buy!) and even more excited by the idea of actually making money on my baked goods at the garage sale I decided to bake two varieties.

Classic Chocolate Whoopie  (recipe from Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell)
*makes 24 complete two-inch pies*
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 1/4 cup milk


Classic Marshmallow Filling
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
1 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Make Whoopie
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper
3. Using a standing mixer, beat together butter, shortening, and brown sugar on a low speed until just combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth (about three minutes)
4. Add egg and vanilla and beat for another two minutes
5. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until completely combined.
6. Using a spoon, drop about one tablespoon of batter onto one of the baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least two inches apart.  Bake one sheet at a time for about ten minutes each or until the pies spring back when pressed gently
7. Remove from the oven and let cake cool on the sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely

To make the filling:
1. Beat together the marshmallow fluff and vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy (about three minutes)
2. On low, add sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated
3. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy (about three minutes more)


To assemble:
1. Pair each cake with a similarly sized and shaped cake
2. Using a frosting bag or a large ziploc bag, pipe a tablespoon amount of frosting onto one cake
3. Put the leftover cake on top of the frosted cake to complete your Whoopie session
* I made a gluten-free version during a camping trip for a gluten-free friend and they tasted equally delicious* Definitely a book worth buying

1 comment:

  1. As a beneficiary of a special delivery of Erin's whoopie pies, I'm glad you stayed up all night! They were delicious!

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