Fancy dessert trend: Whoopie pies

The popular and familiar whoopie pie is back with a new, gourmet twist. Traditionally large, chocolate and vanilla, whoopie pies are now appearing at dinner parties and special events, along with other fancy, mini-desserts in flavors such as sour cherry with white chocolate frosting, like those pictured above and recently featured in The Baltimore Sun.
Among the other popular new varieties: pumpkin or chocolate pies with cream cheese icing, and chocolate pies filled with peanut butter, mint, or raspberry icing.
On Celebrate with Style, you can find recipes for vanilla cardamon and peppermint. two varieties of whoopie pies that also put a gourmet spin on the classic.
Here’s a recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch Pumpkin whoopie pies from “Making Whoopies: The Official Whoopie Pie Book,” by Nancy Griffin.
Pennsylvania Dutch Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Makes 18-20 pies
For the cakes:
4 2/3 cups flour
1 Tbs. cream of tartar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp.ground allspice1 cup butter, softened
1 cup flavorless vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbs. vanilla
1/4 tsp.freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cup quick cooking oats
For the filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 large egg whites
1/4 tsp.vanilla (or 1/2 to 1 tsp. natural maple flavoring)
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease several baking sheets (or use parchment paper).
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.
- In a second mixing bowl, beat the butter and oil at low speed until well mixed. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in pumpkin, egg, egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Gradually beat in the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir in the oats.
- Drop about 2 1/2 Tbs. of batter at a time onto the baking sheets about 4 inches apart. Make them as round as possible using a blunt knife and swirling in a circular motion, and spread batter mound out into an evenly shaped 2 3/4 -inch diameter round.
- Place in the upper third of the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly darker at the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool on sheets for three minutes. Using a spatula, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- To make the filling: cream together the cream cheese, egg whites, vanilla, zest and 1/2 of the confectioner’s sugar. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate the mixture, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes or cover and hold for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- To assemble, place two Tbs. of filling on the flat side of half of the cakes. Let stand a few minutes to allow the filling to set slightly. Top with remaining cakes, flat side down, trying to match like sizes so that the sandwiches are even. Let stand for 20 minutes to allow the filling to set a bit; otherwise the top may slide off.
Photo by Algerina Perna, featured in the Baltimore Sun.
Filed under: Entertaining, Festive foods | No Comments »















I love you scones
Cupid’s cups
Strawberry refrigerator cake
Marshmallow cherry kisses
Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies







