Whoopie Pies

whoopie pies

Dozens of Mix ‘em, Match ‘em, Eat ‘em Up Recipes

by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell

Photographs by Antonis Achilleos

trademarks:

Bob’s Red Mill is a registered trademark of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods; Crisco vegetable shortening is a registered trademark of Procter & Gamble; Ener-G Egg Replacement Powder is a registered trademark of Ener-G Foods, Inc; Fritos is a registered trademark of Frito-Lay North America, Inc.; Heath Bar candy is a registered trademark of the Hershey Company; Hershey’s Syrup is a registered trademark of the Hershey Company; Marshmallow Fluff is a registered trademark of Durkee-Mower, Inc; Nutella hazelnut spread is a registered trademark of Ferrero U.S.A., Inc; Ovaltine is a registered trademark of Associated British Foods PLC; Silpat is a registered trademark of Demarle, Inc.; Pixy Stix is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé; Red Hots cinnamon-flavored candies are a registered trademark of Ferrara Pan Candy Company, Inc.; Smart Balance Buttery Spread is a registered trademark of Smart Balance, Inc; Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and Better Than Sour Cream are registered trademarks of Tofutti Brands, Inc.; Whoppers malted milk balls are a registered trademark of the Hershey Company.

dedication

Dedicated to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, where we ate our first whoopie pies (ahem, gobs!) and became smitten. Let our obsession be your obsession.

acknowledgments

Thanks to:

Amy’s daughter, Maxine, who selflessly taste-tested every whoopie pie we baked.

Kevin Townsend, for mining his childhood memories so we could re-create the classic marshmallow cream filling. We hope it lives up to his high expectations.

Joel Rosenblatt, who declared whoopie pies junk but nevertheless encouraged this pastry project when it took over both his kitchen and his woman.

Ron and Karen Billingsley, for encouraging all childhood baking experiments, even chocolate chip omelets.

A major shout-out to all the supporters and tasters at Chronicle Books: You flocked from every corner of the building. We are all a bit fatter and merrier now.

Introduction, storage, equipment, decorating ideas, and more

makin’ whoopie!

the cakes

Classic Chocolate Whoopie

Red Velvet Whoopie

Vanilla Whoopie

Mocha Whoopie

Marbled Whoopie

Chocolate Chip Whoopie

Lemon Whoopie

Gingerbread Whoopie

Peanut Butter Whoopie

Banana Whoopie

Pistachio-Cardamom Whoopie

Graham Cracker Whoopie

Oatmeal Whoopie

Pumpkin Whoopie

Carrot Cake Whoopie

Vegan Chocolate Whoopie

Vegan Vanilla Whoopie

Gluten-Free Chocolate Whoopie

Gluten-Free Vanilla Whoopie

Whoopie Cake

Jalapeño Cornbread Whoopie

the creamy fillings

Classic Marshmallow

Chocolate Buttercream

Classic Cream Cheese

Classic Buttercream

Chocolate Ganache

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Mint Buttercream

Honey Buttercream

Rosewater Buttercream

Salty Peanut Butter

Coconut Cream

Malted Buttercream

Salted Caramel

Candied Ginger

Dulce de Leche

Maple

Maple-Bacon

Root Beer

Orange Cream Cheese

Lemon Mascarpone

Tiramisù Cream

Strawberry Buttercream

Peachy Marshmallow Cream

Banana

Matcha Buttercream

Vegan Chocolate Butter Cream

Vegan Vanilla Butter Cream

Bacon-Chive Goat Cheese

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients & Sources

Index

Table of Equivalents

makin’ whoopie!

Introduction

What is a whoopie pie?

For those living in the Northeast (for our purposes, roughly from Pennsylvania to Maine), the whoopie pie (or gob) is a familiar treat. Not quite a sandwich cookie, not quite a cake, whoopie pies are marked by two characteristics: their soft, rounded shape and a generous amount of creamy filling. If your treat is flat or thinly filled, we’re sorry to say that it’s not a proper whoopie pie.

The origin of both the name and the treat are murky (though we offer some theories throughout this book). What we do know is that the classic and overall favorite variety of whoopie pie is chocolate cake with marshmallow filling. This is the whoopie most likely to be found next to cash registers at mom-and-pop shops, gas stations, and diners throughout the region, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. (Eating the moist whoopie skin stuck to the plastic is a unique pleasure, especially if your mom makes you share your whoopie pie with your brother or sister.) Flavors such as vanilla, chocolate chip, and especially pumpkin are also common.

Who are these authors?

Amy honed her whoopie tasting skills while growing up in Massachusetts. In her small hometown south of Boston, whoopies were featured at every school bake