When I was growing up, a favorite special treat was when my dad would bring home whoopie pies from Bova's Bakery in the North End of Boston. They were huge, with a soft fluffy cake-like top and bottom, filled with fresh whipped cream. You needed to keep them cold or the inside would melt. They were delicious. I've tried myriads of recipes over the years, in my hopes of duplicating the taste that I remember from my childhood. AND, we have a winner!!! I made a non-GF version of these years ago, and the key to getting the right consistency in the cake was using mayonnaise. While it might seem somewhat unusual, it gives the exact flavor and consistency to make what I feel is the perfect whoopie pie. If you don't want to use fresh whipped cream, these are also delicious with marshmallow fluff frosting as a filling (recipe included below). Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!
Mix together until smooth, then set aside to cool a few minutes while you mix together the rest of the ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (make sure it's a nice, dark, rich cocoa powder - a dark, amber cocoa powder will work nicely, too)
In a large bowl, whisk together:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Add to the dry ingredients:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
3/4 cup mayonnaise
water/cocoa mixture from above (add a little first, to help temper the eggs, then add the rest)
Place just smaller than 1 Tbsp scoops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. You should be able to cook 15 cookies to a tray (3 x 5) on 4 trays. Bake at 350 F for ~10 minutes.
Let whoopie pie cookies rest a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cool, sandwich with the whipped cream, below, or my favorite marshmallow frosting. Yum!
Whipped Cream Filling
In a mixer with whisk attachment, whisk until nice and stiff peaks form:
2 cups whipping cream (also known as heavy cream, heavy whipping cream)
~1/3 cup powdered sugar (you can use less/more as desired for sweetness - I like to use only a little powdered sugar in the whipped cream, preferring a not very sweet filling to balance with the sweeter chocolate exterior)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Use the whipped cream filling to fill whoopie pies. You can just add a scoop of whipped cream and sandwich together. You will want to store these immediately in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Optional Marshmallow Frosting Filling
In a mixer with a beat 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
1 cup butter, softened
2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1 - 2 cups marshmallow fluff
Place in piping bags or freezer ziplocs. Snip the corner and use to pipe and fill the whoopie pies. My girls loved helping out with these when we need to make a special dessert.
Yummy fresh homemade whoopie pies!!!
Chocolate Whoopie Pies! (Gluten Free)
Makes about 30 whoopie pie sandwiches (~60 individual fluffy cakes)Mix together until smooth, then set aside to cool a few minutes while you mix together the rest of the ingredients:
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (make sure it's a nice, dark, rich cocoa powder - a dark, amber cocoa powder will work nicely, too)
In a large bowl, whisk together:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Add to the dry ingredients:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
3/4 cup mayonnaise
water/cocoa mixture from above (add a little first, to help temper the eggs, then add the rest)
Batter, ready to scoop onto cookie sheets.
Place just smaller than 1 Tbsp scoops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. You should be able to cook 15 cookies to a tray (3 x 5) on 4 trays. Bake at 350 F for ~10 minutes.
Whoopie pies fresh from the oven. Rest a few minutes, then move to cooling rack.
Let whoopie pie cookies rest a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cool, sandwich with the whipped cream, below, or my favorite marshmallow frosting. Yum!
Whipped Cream Filling
In a mixer with whisk attachment, whisk until nice and stiff peaks form:
2 cups whipping cream (also known as heavy cream, heavy whipping cream)
~1/3 cup powdered sugar (you can use less/more as desired for sweetness - I like to use only a little powdered sugar in the whipped cream, preferring a not very sweet filling to balance with the sweeter chocolate exterior)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Use the whipped cream filling to fill whoopie pies. You can just add a scoop of whipped cream and sandwich together. You will want to store these immediately in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Ready to pop into the refrigerator. Mmmm...
*These are my FAVORITE way to enjoy whoopie pies, but they're also delicious with marshmallow fluff frosting and don't have to be refrigerated prior to serving.*Optional Marshmallow Frosting Filling
In a mixer with a beat 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
1 cup butter, softened
2 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 tsp vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract
1 - 2 cups marshmallow fluff
Place in piping bags or freezer ziplocs. Snip the corner and use to pipe and fill the whoopie pies. My girls loved helping out with these when we need to make a special dessert.
Eight years old and five years old, filling whoopie pies.
My 5 year old LOVES to help cook, and these are a perfect treat to make together.
It's important to wear pearls when making whoopie pies. ;)
Enjoy!!!
Is there a way to make this dairy free as well? (Son is allergic to wheat, and dairy consumption can end in a trip to the hospital...)
ReplyDeleteAlso, do you mean stiff peaks? "In a mixer with whisk attachment, whisk until nice and stick peaks form."
Thank you.
Definitely! The cakes are gluten and dairy free, so I assume you're asking about the filling options.
DeleteYou have two options:
1. Use the marshmallow fluff frosting made with your favorite dairy-free butter substitute in place of the butter for the filling. (recipe below the whipped cream option)
OR
2. Chill a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator. Open and use ONLY the thick part from the can of coconut milk. Whip it together with some powdered sugar to make a "whipped cream" dairy-free filling. Coconut cream made like this tends to soften quickly at room temperature, so you'll want to keep it chilled until eating.
And yes, I meant stiff peaks. Fixed it! Thanks!