Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Our second creation is the Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Olivia had made a batch of whoopie pies before however this was my first try, therefore neither us knew completely what to expect. I'd say they are in between a biscuit and a cake, not quite as crunchy as a biscuit or cookie yet not quite as spongy as a cake. 

The mixture is extremely chocolaty due to the large amount of cocoa used, however this is cut through with the marshmallow fluff based filling. The filling did cause some problems whilst assembling the pies, the recipe states that you should leave the icing in the fridge for around 30 minutes to set a little. We ended up leaving ours in the fridge for over an hour and when we took it out it seemed hard enough to use, however minutes after spreading the mixture onto the pies they were sliding all over the place and we were struggling to take a decent photo without them falling apart. Neither of us are still sure why this happened and we can only try again with another whoopie pie recipe to see how they turn out. 

Despite the mishap with the filling, I did enjoy the pies as they are something a bit different to a cupcake and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the pies in the book turn out. 

Recipe

(Cake Days - The Hummingbird Bakery)

Makes 8-10 pies

For the Sponge:

             1 large egg

          150g (5.5oz) caster sugar

          125g (4.5oz) plain yoghurt

          25ml (1fl oz) whole milk

          1/4 tsp vanilla essence

          75g (2.5 oz) unsalted butter melter

          200g (7oz) plain flour

          80g (3oz) cocoa powder

          3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

          1/4 tsp baking powder

For the filling:

             170g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

          280g (10oz) icing sugar

          220g (8oz) marshmallow fluff

Method:

• Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the egg and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour the yoghurt, milk and vanilla essence into a jug and stir together, then add to the beaten egg and sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix in thoroughly on a medium speed.
• Sift the remaining sponge ingredients together, then add to the creamed mixture in two batches, mixing well on medium speed after each addition. Place the batter in the fridge to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat the oven to 170C (325F), Gas Mark 3, and line two baking trays with baking parchment. 
• Once the batter ha cooled down, spoon it on to the prepared trays, dividing the mixture into 16-20 mounds (8-10 per tray), each 3-5cm in diameter and spaced 2-3cm apart. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Remove from the trays and place on a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely before sandwiching them together.
• While the sponges are cooking, you can make the filling. Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and icing sugar on a low speed until well blended. Add the marshmallow fluff, and lightly mix it in, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Place in the fridge and leave for about 30 minutes for firm up slightly. 

• To assemble the whoopie pies, take one sponge and spread about 1 tablespoon of the filling over the flat side, adding a little more if needed. Then stick another sponge, with the flat side facing down on the filling to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sponges and filling.

Thanks for reading,


Naomi xxx