RED VELVET WHOOPIE PIES

RECIPE AND PHOTO SUBMITTED BY Rosetta Sperring

Here is a recipe for “Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.” ‘ll be making these again this year for Valentines Day

I used a pastry bag to make my hearts, but they do sell heart shape whoopie pans you can use if you choose to. or you can cut the corner off of a zip lock. I have step by step photos.on my Blog

Rosetta’s SweetTreats http://rosettassweettreats.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/red-velvet-whoopie-pies-2/

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

They are so cute, and at the same time, so yummy! I have an icing recipe with them, but you can certainly use Whoopie Pie Filling instead.

For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 oz. red food coloring

Ingredients:

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.
Using a heart template cut out from card stock, trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Blend in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low-speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not over-beat.

Blend in food coloring

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.

If you do not have a pastry bag, use a gallon size zip-lock and cut the corner out…you can pipe out batter this was also.

Make a heart shape on the hearts you drew previously.  Once you have the outline of the heart, simply fill in until smooth.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.

Make Whoopie Filling and fill the center and put the matching heart on top.  Now you have a “Whoopie Pie!”

Whoopie Pie Filling

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain, round tip. Pair the cookies up by shape and size. (You can make this as easy or as difficult as you would like. Flip one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up.

Pipe frosting onto the flat-sided cookie of each pair, leaving the edges clear. Sandwich the cookies together so the flat sides are facing each other and press gently to help the filling reach the edges. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.