Recipe Description
Whoopie pies are a cross between a cake and a cookie. They are two domed pieces of cake/cookie sandwiched with a cream filling. According to whatscookingamerica.net, these American sweets were created by the Pennsylvania Amish and were originally made from leftover chocolate cake batter.
Here, the chocolate batter is tinted red to make them red velvet whoopie pies. There is quite a large amount of food colouring, so don’t be shocked.
This recipe was first published on The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/food/food-news/2020/01/18/red-themed-recipes-to-bring-ong-to-the-table
This recipe is best with
Recipe Ingredient
- 110g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 60g butter, softened
- 80g caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 60ml milk
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 3/4-1 tbsp red food gel* (see footnote)
- Cream cheese filling:
- 120g cream cheese, softened
- 50g butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g icing sugar, sifted
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until blended. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is pale and light. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Combine the milk, vinegar and food gel and fold into the mixture until evenly blended. The dough should have a soft dropping consistency. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line 1-2 baking sheets (depending on the size of your oven) with grease-proof paper.
- Place one-tablespoon scoops of dough 5cm apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are risen and springy in the centre (they will spread out at first and then rise).
- Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until pale and fluffy.
- Hold back about 50g (or a few tablespoons) of the icing sugar and add the rest together with the salt to the cream cheese mixture.
- Beat on low speed to combine, and then on high speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. If the frosting is runny, add the rest of the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time.
- Sandwich level tablespoons of filling between cakes to make eight whoopie pies. Serve.
- *Do not use liquid food colouring as it will change the consistency of the batter. You want each cookie to rise in the middle, not spread out. Also, I have found that some liquid colourings have an unpleasant taste.
