Apparently the Whoopie Pie originated in Maine, USA amongst the Amish community. The Amish wives baked little cakes from their leftover cake batters and sandwiched them together with buttercream. They were then packed into the lunch boxes of their children and husbands. The name is said to have originated from when the husbands and children opened their lunch boxes and delighted they would scream “whoopie”.
How lovely is that!
Magnolia Bakery - Whoopie Sandwich Cookie
I couldn't resist trying this recipe, it is a little different from your traditional whoopie pie as it has a more cookie-like shell. Magnolia Bakery hasn't let me down yet so I had high hopes for these little babies.
The brown sugar cookie shell was a total winner, it was a slightly cakey, very chewy cookie which was obviously perfect for a cookie-esq whoopie pie. The icing in my opinion was a little too sweet and the vanilla flavour was a little strong next to the subtle maple syrup which didn't quite stand out enough. I think next time I may try a different frosting but all in all a great recipe, these cookies would also be great by themselves or better yet with chocolate chips.
I am totally sold on the Whoopie Pie, how could I not be? It is after all a glorious cross between a cupcake and a macaron. I will try a 'proper' cakey Whoopie Pie recipe very soon.
I halved this recipe with no problems, I did however have huge amounts of frosting left over. You could probably halve the frosting recipe again and still have more than enough.
Whoopie Sandwich Cookie
From Magnolia Bakery
Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (5 ounces of butter)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 cups confectioners' sugar
Cookies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a stand up mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, mix until combined. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to the mixer in three parts, on the lowest speed; take care not to over mix. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly. Scoop dough with an ice cream scoop the size of a golf ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool. Yields about 3 dozen cookies.
Icing:
Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes. In a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and the butter. On medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. In a liquid measuring cup with a pour spout, combine the maple syrup and vanilla extract. On the lowest speed, gradually add the maple syrup and vanilla extract in a thin stream. In a large bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar, to remove any lumps. Add 4 cups of sugar to the mixer and mix on the lowest speed until smooth. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining 4 cups of confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.
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Magnolia Bakery Whoopie Pie Sandwich Cookie
How could I resist? Don't worry, I got one for Baby Love too....
