Happy Valentine’s Day! I know it’s kind of last minute, but I wanted to share these adorable whoopie pies with you guys today anyways. I made them yesterday to send in with Andrew for his class party today, and I was just smitten with the cuteness factor.
I was debating making a red velvet brownie of some sort, or these – but since I’d not made whoopie pies before, I went with them. The first batch I made using another recipe turned out…not so good. They spread way too much and were just kind of flat. But, I can always count on my buddy Annie to steer me in the right direction – because the recipe that I found on her site turned out absolutely perfect.
I remember my first taste of a whoopie pie was when my mom traveled up to Pennsylvania to purchase a draft horse to pull our wagon for hayrides at the farm she was managing – the people were so friendly, stuffing my pockets with whoopie pies. After one bite, I was instantly hooked. Nowadays, I usually stock up on them when we visit Annapolis on the weekends and stop by the Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer’s Market – it’s this really cool spot where Amish families gather on the weekends to sell their goods…everything from produce, to baked goods, to meats. It’s wonderful, and everything they offer is top-notch!
At any rate, I’m glad to be able to make these at home. And, I’m looking forward to trying different flavors in the future. I embellished them with some Valentine sprinkles to make them a little more festive, and I think they’re really the perfect treat to send in with the little ones. Compact, hand-held, and relatively clean. I hope they have as much fun enjoying them as I had making them. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, and a great weekend too!
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 oz. red food coloring
For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 375? F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, soft together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix. Blend in the food coloring.
Using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop batter onto the prepared baking sheets – leaving about 2 inches between each cake. Smooth out tops with a moistened finger. Bake about 8 minutes, or until the tops are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.
To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Carefully pipe about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling onto one side of the whoopie pie. Top with the other half. Let pies sit for an hour before wrapping them individually with plastic wrap and storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats
