Sunday 24 June 2012

In The Kitchen

It has been a food day today. Procuring, cooking and eating. No sewing done at all, at least not on my part. Apparently the needle on my machine is broken. The child in question does not know how it happened. Happily I have spare needles for a change so neither her nor I am traumatised by this occurrence.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen with me, today's treat is Whoopie Pies. Wonderful little cakes sandwiched together with a butter cream icing. I have heard tell that a 'real whoopie pie' is sandwiched together with something more resembling marshmallow. I do not know if this is true. Whether it is, or not, the whoopie pies that happen in this house are still good.



The following recipe makes approximately 18 whoopie pies.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Line two or three baking sheets with baking parchment.

Ingredients -

1 large egg
150g (5 oz)caster sugar
75g (3oz) butter - melted
150g (5oz) crème fraiche
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk
200g (7oz) plain flour
75g (3oz) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Beat the egg and sugar until the mixture is thick and light in colour. Beat in the butter, crème fraiche, vanilla and milk. Sift the dry ingredients together and then beat into the egg mixture until smooth. You want a thick but pipable mixture. (Note - The recipe suggests adding extra milk if the mixture is too thick. I use about twice the milk they list in the ingredients.)

Fill a piping bag and pipe walnut sized balls onto the baking sheets with space between each ball.



Bake for 10-12 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.



Make the icing -



115g (3.25oz) butter
200g (7oz) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk

Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add milk a little at a time until a good spreading consistency is gained. Sandwich the whoopie pies together with the icing.



Eat and enjoy!

Susan

24 comments:

  1. I've never yet eaten a whoopie pie (and probably don't need to be tempted) but these look great!

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  2. oh yum will try these sometimes!! I've been baking not sewing today so far too!

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  3. ohh they look lush - will pass that recipe over to my live-in cook ;-)

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  4. looks good i may have to try that

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  5. I. LOVE. WHOOPIE. PIES!!!!
    You have me drooling over here.

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  6. those darned sewing needles... they break themselves ALL the time !! save me a treat Im on my way!! lol x

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  7. I've been meaning to try whoopee pies for aaaages. Yours look fab, I didn't think of piping them out (which is probably the 'proper' way to do it).

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  8. Stop showing me food when I am feeling poorly and I still can't cook!

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  9. almost got drool on besties quilt....

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  10. oooh, we love whoopie pies in this house too. Yours look delish

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  11. Those darn self-breaking needles, such a pain... ;o) Might have to pin that recipe!

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  12. Those look good, I need to visit again soon.

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  13. Never had a whoopie pie?! Are they anything like a whoopie cushion?!!!! LoL! Yours look delicious!

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  14. Glad to see normallity resumes :) Hmm may have to show this to the not so small person of this household! :) Got a feeling they may be on the menu very soon!

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  15. Aren't you so very clever to pipe them out!!?

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  16. You are officially the whoopie pie Queen and I bow before your greatness.

    Pop the kettle on. I'll be right over!

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  17. I've never had a whoopee pie either, but I will be referring back to this recipe once I have some creme fraiche in the house. They look delicious and I love the way you used the star nozzle to pipe them out.

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  18. awesome! we made some chocolate cupcakes yesterday. I love whoopie pies and discovered them in our local wee bakery. They put cream in the middle icing on top and decorate with marshmallows! yum yours look amazing!

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  19. Yum!! These look amazing!!

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  20. The whoopie pies we get around here (central PA) from the Amish have a very sweet buttercream-like icing, but it's a little fluffier. Peanut butter filling is especially good! The cake part is a little denser than what you would get from a cake mix, so they don't fall apart when you eat them! But hey, any combination of cake and frosting has to be good, doesn't it?

    We were in Canada over the weekend, ate a couple of timbits for you, listened to the lovely Canadian accents (even on tv!)and endured some hot humid weather! Not Halifax, but still Canada!

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  21. They look far too nice for their own survival...did they live for long?!

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  22. I wish I lived near you ;-)

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