When in doubt, make whoopie pies

Wed., Aug. 24, 2005

Hearst Communications

This Pennsylvania Dutch favorite is not a pie at all but two cakelike chocolate cookies that are sandwiched together with a fluffy white filling. Our recipe has a marshmallow créme that’s reminiscent of the filling in a Moon Pie.

PREP: 30 minutes plus cooking

BAKE: 12 minutes

MAKES: 12 whoopie pies

Cookie dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Marshmallow créme filling:

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, slightly softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 jar (7 to 7- 1/2 ounces) marshmallow créme

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two large cookie sheets.

2. Prepare Cookie Dough: In large bowl, with spoon, beat flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, milk, butter, egg and vanilla until smooth.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart to form 12 cookies on each prepared cookie sheet. Bake until puffy and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking. With wide spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

4. When cookies are cool, prepare Marshmallow Créme Filling: In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter until smooth. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in marshmallow créme and vanilla until smooth.

5. Spread 1 rounded tablespoon filling on flat side of 12 cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down.

• Each whoopie pie: About 365 calories, 4 g protein, 59 g carbohydrate, 14 g total fat (8 g saturated), 51 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.