Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies...plus something for the snow day....

I finally got my hands on this really cool book called "Whoopie Pies." It was so much fun flipping through the all different flavor combos and imagining baking them. But when it came down to actually baking whoopie pies, I was stumped. Which whoopie pie combo should I make? Being that I have a serious issue with making decisions (Dearest, what would you like for supper tonight?) I was just plain stuck. So I did what any sane and logical person would do- I made up a new one! Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies. I was really happy with how it came out, especially since they are inspired by my signature latte's. I am not even sure if  my signature lattes actually qualify as lattes. According to Wikipedia, it doesn't seem like they do, but honestly I really don't care. Since I made up the recipe, I get to call them whatever I want- right? Isn't that the coolest part about making up your own recipes? 

Cinnamon Latte Whoopie Pies

Cake Part

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter

4 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk*

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or silicon baking mats. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk together. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together margarine, shortening and both sugars until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low just until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 2 minutes until completely combined.


Using a spoon, or a small melon baller, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least five minutes before removing.


*To make a substitute for buttermilk, measure the milk or soy milk and remove 1 tablespoon of milk. Replace with vinegar and let sit for a few minutes to ferment. 


Latte Cream Filling
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 cups powder sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream or rich's whip
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee


Beat together the butter/margarine and powder sugar until combined. In a small bowl, mix together whip cream and coffee. Add cream mixture and beat on high until creamy, about 3 minutes. Transfer frosting to a Ziploc and cut off a corner. Squeeze a dollop of cream on the bottom of a cake/cookie, and top with another cake/cookie. For an extra touch, roll the sides of the whoopie pie in chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips. 


And now for the snow day....


One of my best childhood memories is coming in after playing in the snow to a steaming cup of hot chocolate. I distinctly remember my mother standing near the stove with a small saucepan of hot chocolate simmering, patiently waiting for us. These lattes are for the kids at heart that had to shovel their cars out of mountains of snow....or anyone else who'd like to taste 'em...
Cinnamon Latte ( one serving)
1 cup milk, or enough to fill a normal size coffee mug
For the following, I don't use a measuring spoon, I use a regular kitchen teaspoon:
Add:
1 flat spoonful instant coffee
1 heaping spoonful sugar
1 regular spoonful chocolate milk powder
dash of vanilla- just a drip, or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla sugar
dash of cinnamon (optional)


Microwave on high for 1 minute and 40 seconds. Stir briskly and enjoy!

Whoopie Pies revisited.....Baby Boston Cream Pies

 

I just can't get whoopie pies out of my head!! We were invited to a barbecue with some cousins and naturally I would be bringing dessert. The plan was to make cream filled cupcakes. The plan was to listen to my husbands request  and make cream filled cupcakes. At the end of the night I had 21 Boston Cream whoopie pies in my kitchen and a crabby husband. Where did I go wrong? Oh dear, I think I need help.Wait, I know I need help.Ok, lets not discuss this. Well in case you want to make these too, here's the recipe:

Boston Cream Pie Whoopie Pies

Cake-Cookie Part

3 eggs

2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
1 c. buttermilk*
1/4 c. sweet milk
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vinegar
5 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar, shortening and eggs. Combine the baking soda and vinegar with sweet milk. Stir in the buttermilk. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to cream mixture, and mix at a low speed until combined. Pour half of milk mixture in, and mix just until combined. Pour in the next third of flour, mix, and add in last of milk. Pour in the last third of the flour, and mix until combined. Scrape sides, and add in vanilla. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched with the finger. Let cool before filling.

* To make buttermilk at home, put 1 tablespoon vinegar into the 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the rest with milk, and let sit for 10 minutes. You can use rice milk or soy milk as well. 

Custard Filling

4 large eggs (yolks only, discard the whites)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 cups milk

1 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Whisk egg yolks until smooth in bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow steady stream and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about five mintues. Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into the yolks. Mix together. Pour yolk mixture back into the milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon. Pour into a bowl and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm- at least  2 hours, or up to 2 days.

Chocolate Glaze

2 cups powder sugar

4 heaping tablespoons cocoa

2 tablespoons oil

4 tablespoons corn syrup

2 tablespoons milk

Mix everything together. It should be slightly thick, similar to a brownie batter. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, until smooth. If it is too thick, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. The glaze will thicken as it cools, so if it gets too thick as you dip the pies, you can reheat it for 10 seconds at a time in the microwave. Note: The glaze recipe is really " a little of this and a little of that " kind of recipe. I tried my best to estimate the measurements that I use, but I almost always end up adding some more milk or powder sugar to get it to the right consistency.

To assemble:

I didn't have patience to wait for the custard to cool, so I poured it into a ziploc bag, and laid it flat in the freezer for about 10 minutes, and it seemed to do the job. Lay half of the cookie/cakes in a pan. Snip off a corner of the ziploc bag, and squeeze about 2 tablespoons of custard on the cookie. Now, either you can glaze half of the cookies in advance, and have them ready to cover. Or you can dip each one as you fill the cookie, and put it on top. There are pros and cons to both ways. If you glaze them in advance, they are hard to pick up, but they don't drip on the filling. If you glaze them while you fill, they are easier to pick up, since they are already in your hand, but they will drip. Personally, I like the natural look of the drips, so I dipped them as I filled. Refrigerate after assembling to allow the pies to set. 

Alternate Chocolate Cream Filling

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. beat until light and fluffy.

Whoopie pies....joining the bandwagon.

Those of you who follow food blogs will know that there are lots of trends in the food blogging community, not unlike clothing fashion. While yesterdays raging trend was cupcakes in all colors and flavors, the new trend is now whoopie pies. Wow. You have to try them to believe me.We called them devil dogs when I was little, but these whoopie pies are on a whole new level. It seems to me that the difference with whoopie pies is you can mix and match any flavors. There is a new book out called "Whoopie Pies" and in it there are fifty recipes for the cake part and fifty recipes for the filling. Double wow. I have a copy on hold at the library and I can't wait to get my hands on it to try out all the cool combinations that are inside. In the meantime, Bakerella posted peanut butter whoopie pies. They are delicious, and I dare you to stop after one. Without any further ado, I present to you..... 

Whoopie Pies!

Whoopie Pie Cakes

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2  cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl cream shortening , sugar and egg.
In a separate bowl sift together  flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to other mixture alternately with milk, beating well. Add vanilla at the end.
Drop by large spoonful on greased pan. For even sized cookies, use a melon scoop. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Peanut Butter Filling

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (or crunchy)
3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat peanut butter and butter on low until creamy using a mixer.
Add sugar and salt and beat on low to incorporate. Increase speed to medium and beat for about four minutes until the filling is light and fluffy.
Spread filling on flat side on one cooled cake. Top it with a second cake and press gently. Store whoopie pies in an airtight container.