Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Maple Frosting

Not too sweet yet full of intense spiciness, Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are the perfect holiday season treat and are a nice complement to hot coffee or tea. At first it seemed that the intensity of the ground spices might be overwhelmingly strong, or at least might overpower the subtleness of the maple syrup frosting, but the combination actually turned out to be quite nice. And this recipe didn't need much tinkering at all. I only added a little extra liquid (milk) since the batter seemed to get firmer and firmer the more it stood in the bowl. So give it a shot, you won't be disappointed;)

Gingerbread Whoopie

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, vegetable shortening, and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth, about five minutes. Add the egg, beating well, and then the molasses. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon or 1-tablespoon scoop, drop a rounded spoon 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 12 minutes each, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Maple Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

1 container (16 oz) Marshmallow Fluff
2 sticks butter (1 salted and 1 unsalted)
1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 Tablespoons real Maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)

Directions:

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and maple flavoring and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Once the cakes are completely cooled, drop a spoon sized amount of frosting onto the bottom side of one of the cakes. Gently add the top cake.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Classic Marshmallow Frosting

Being that Red Velvet cupcakes are my favorite cupcakes on earth, I decided to try Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I can now safely say that the only thing better than a Red Velvet cupcake is a Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. Though my new Whoopie Pie book has been somewhat unreliable as recipes go, this recipe didn't need much tinkering. Just a little extra buttermilk here and a little less cocoa powder there and we've got ourselves some spectacular Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. So here is the recipe, tried and true.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Classic Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ounce (usually the size of a small bottle) red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl with a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and both the sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrap down the sides and add the vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beat again until just blended.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the butter milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about one rounded tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them two inches apart, until the baking sheet is full. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 36 four-inch cakes.

Classic Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients:

1 jar (16oz) marshmallow fluff
2 1/2 sticks butter (1 1/2 salted, 1 unsalted)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter and marshmallow fluff until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Beat again until fluffy. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and beat once more. Once the Whoopie Pies are completely cooled, frost with the rubber scraper for a more rustic look (as in my pictures) or use a piping bag for a more delicate look. Eat and enjoy!