Spring Whoopie Pies

With Easter approaching I wanted to create a unique dessert that I have never made before. When I heard about Whoopie Pies on a Food Network show I knew I had to make them. For those of you that don’t know what Whoopie Pies are, they are a cross between a cake and a cookie with a gooey marshmallow centre (sounds pretty great huh?) The most classic flavour combination is chocolate with a vanilla flavoured frosting. I wanted to emulate natural spring colours and fresh flavours so I choose to make a combination of lemon and matcha. You can choose any flavour you want though – cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, carrot – it really is a versatile cookie!

As I was beginning to make this recipe, I realized I had no butter since we only go grocery shopping to get essentials once a week. I had to get a little creative and decided to use oil instead and surprisingly they came out perfect! It’s easy to sub out butter for oil in cookie recipes, you can typically substitute about three-quarters of the amount of butter that is called for in the recipe.

For the gooey centre I decide to make a 7 minute frosting. If you’ve never had this icing, I’d like to apologize. I am so sorry that you’ve missed out all these years. This is a fluffy, light tasting icing reminiscent of marshmallow cream, only better. You can use this recipe for cakes, cupcakes and cookies!

Side Note: When I was researching Whoopie Pies, it came a surprise to me that they apparently originated from a Amish legend. They were considered a special treat to children because they were originally made from leftover batter. Then when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!”

I hope you have an eggs-cellent Easter!

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Whoopie Pie Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (for lemon whoopie pies) or 1 tbsp of matcha powder (for matcha whoopie pies)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (for matcha whoopie pies) or lemon extract ( for lemon whoopie pies)

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whoopie Pie Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Lightly coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whoopie Pies: In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil until crumbly. Add eggs and beat well. In separate bowl, combine flour, flavour of your choice (ie matcha powder or add lemon zest and lemon extract with wet ingredients), baking soda and salt.
3. Gradually beat flour mixture into sugar mixture. Add milk and mix together well.
4. With lightly lightly floured hands, roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Place balls 2" apart onto cookie sheets lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten balls slightly with bottom of lightly greased flat-bottom glass.
5. Bake at 425 for 5-6 minutes or until tops are cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool.

Frosting Directions

1. Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler.
2. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
3. Remove from heat and pipe filling using pastry bag (or spread w/ knife) on to flat bottom of cooled Whoopie Pie and top with another Whoopie Pie to make a sandwich.