Chocolate and Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

Chocolate and Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

Makes 6 large individual pies

Cakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups marshmallow creme

Cook’s notes: You’ll need parchment paper and a self-release ice cream
scoop that holds about 1/4-cup of batter. Dutch process cocoa gives a
darker chocolate look to the pies.

Preliminaries: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with
parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients: Sift or run flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
through the food processor, or whisk by hand, checking for lumps. Set aside.

Mix wet ingredients: Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light
and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, scraping down
bowl and beaters if necessary.

Make the batter: Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in half the flour mixture
followed by half the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining flour mix and buttermilk
until combined.

Bake the cakes: Scoop six generous, 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto each sheet,
about 2 inches apart. Bake on middle racks until they spring back when pressed,
15-18 minutes. Switch and rotate sheets halfway through baking. Cool completely when done.

Make the filling: Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl on medium
speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt, and then marshmallow creme.

Assemble the pies: Spread about ⅓ cup filling evenly over the bottom of half the cakes,
then add a second cake to make a pie with filling in the middle. If filling is too soft,
chill 15 minutes. If too stiff, warm for 15 seconds in the microwave.

Source: Adapted recipe from “The Cook’s Country Cookbook,” by editors of
America’s Test Kitchen, 2008.; Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, February 08, 2011