S’mores Whoopie Pies

July 8, 2010

S'mores Whoopie Pies

Have you noticed that whoopie pies have become all the rage lately? First cupcakes became tres chic and began an empire-like rule over entire bakeries and cookbooks. Well, move over cupcakes, whoopie pies are trying to steal your thunder. From the classic chocolate and marshmallow fluff to gourmet and savory varieties, the sky is the limit when it comes to flavor combinations. Throw in that they are portable and easy to eat without a plate or silverware (just like cupcakes) and you can begin to see why they have become so popular.

Now, it’s pretty well documented here that I am a born and bred Pittsburgh girl, so growing up these were known as gobs. And they only came in one flavor – chocolate with a white icing center. They sent my little heart racing. My mom had a couple of friends that could make really sensational gobs and I always looked forward to the parties where they would show up. Now that there are so many possibilities at my fingertips?? Look out!

S'mores Whoopie Pies

These s’mores whoopie pies are as close to a s’more as you can get without the actual graham cracker and ooey-gooey marshmallow. The cake part is made with graham flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand, found in the organics section of the local supermarket) and the flavor is spot-on. I made them for the 4th of July weekend and they would certainly be appropriate for any summertime picnic or get together.

The recipe comes from the recently-released cookbook Whoopie Pies, which was co-authored by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell. Sarah is a native of Pittsburgh and used to write for the local newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I worked with the food editor there to write a piece about the popularity of whoopie pies, their history, and a bit about Sarah and the book:

“Ex-Pittsburgher’s book has gobs of recipes” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The article includes recipes for the Tiramisu Whoopie Pie and the Jalapeño Cornbread Whoopie Pie.

Sarah Billingsley was beyond generous and offered to send me a signed copy of Whoopie Pies, to be given away to one of my readers. Read on to find out how you can win the book…

Whoopie Pies Cookbook

Prize

One (1) copy of Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley & Amy Treadwell

Entry Requirements

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this post answering the question: Is it a whoopie pie or a gob? And if you have had them before, what is your favorite flavor?

Required: You must include your email address in the comment form. I will need it to contact you should you win.

Deadline: Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 11:59pm EST

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter. Winner will be selected at random by Brown Eyed Baker using Random.org. All entries received after the Giveaway closing day and time will not be considered. Entries that do not follow the entry requirements will not be considered. Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the email. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Giveaway has been sponsored by Sarah Billingsley, co-author of Whoopie Pies.

GOOD LUCK!

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to commenter #348, Helen, who said:

“Whoopie pies! And I love the classic — chocolate with white filling.”

Thank you to everyone for entering; I loved hearing about all of the different varieties of gobs/whoopie pies. Can’t wait to try more!

One year ago: Snickerdoodles

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S'mores Whoopie Pies

Yield: About 2 dozen assembled whoopie pies

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Graham Cracker Whoopie:
1½ cups graham flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Classic Marshmallow Filling:
1½ cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream, which will do in a pinch)
1¼ cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
8 ounces milk chocolate chips (or solid chocolate, finely chopped)
½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined.

4. 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 speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until completely combined.

5. Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

6. Make the Marshmallow Filling: In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

7. Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling: Put the chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours. You may also refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes, until it is firm enough to spread, stirring every 10 minutes.

8. Assemble the whoopie pies: Pipe or spread (whatever your preferred method) a layer of chocolate ganache filling onto the flat side of one of the cakes. Using the same method, top the chocolate filling with the marshmallow filling. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

* Note: I know many people are opposed to vegetable shortening, but it really is a necessary ingredient. It gives the cakes their characteristic lift and lightness, and the rounded shape. It is also a crucial component of the classic marshmallow filling. I can attest to both of these after reviewing my mom's old recipes for gobs!

(Recipe from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley & Amy Treadwell)