I have a confession to make. I love sweets. When this book Whoopie Pies: Does of Mix'em, Match 'em, Eat 'em Up Recipes came to my door, I jumped for joy. These little cakes with filling in the middle are like a cross between cupcakes and cookies. Whatever they really are, they look magical, no? The good news is these gems are easy to make. Authors Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell do a great job at sharing their recipes for whoopie pies where you can mix and match the fillings with the little cakes. Find yourself drooling over the delicious photographs and enjoy the whimsical drawings and humorous notes in the book.
Hungry for more? We've got an exclusive recipe excerpt after the jump to make this Oatmeal Whoopie Pie with Maple-Bacon Filling.
Oatmeal Whoopie Pie
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats not fast-cooking
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins optional
1/2 cup chopped pecans or nuts of your choice optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and both sugars on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
In a food processor or blender, process 3/4 cup of the oatmeal until it resembles whole grain flour. Transfer the ground oatmeal to a medium bowl and add the remaining oatmeal, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the oatmeal mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
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 11 minutes each or until the cookies begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes about 48 two-inch cakes.
Maple-Bacon Filling
Ingredients
4 thick strips bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on low speed until combined. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, vanilla, maple syrup, maple flavoring, and salt and beat on low until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the bacon until just combined.
Watch this fun video with the Whoopie Pies authors Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.
