What I Made for Valentine's Day

Hi guys!  So I'm not like some bloggers who post what they're going to make for Valentine's Day before Valentine's Day.  But I did want to share what I made to inspire you for next year!

I know that I normally post on Friday's, but since I posted on Thursday and it was a non-food post and I was busier than normal yesterday, I decided to post today instead.

I'm guessing that some of you might be wondering what a whoopie pie is.  First of all, it does not have to do with Whoopie Goldberg 😜.  (And no offense, but who would want to be named whoopie?!)   Second of all, a whoopie pie is no pie at all.  Maybe that seems like a pie-in-the-sky statement (ha!), but when you find out what a whoopie pie actually is, you'll probably agree.

So what is a whoopie pie?  Essentially, its a really moist mini cakes baked on a tray with shaped indentations sandwiched together with marshmallow frosting.  If you like cupcakes, you're bound to like these.

What makes these cakes moister than most?  The secret ingredient is buttermilk. Buttermilk makes these mini cakes moist and airy.  In fact, the cake batter resembles chocolate mousse (I gotta make that one of these days and post it....What do y'all think about that?).

The other signature aspect of whoopie pies is the the frosting.  The frosting has got to be made with marshmallow creme.  I know that it sounds weird for a generally healthy home cook to use marshmallow creme, but that stuff is amazing!!  And no wonder- it's basically just sugar 😋

So how did I make these whoopie pies fit for Valentine's Day?  For starters, I used a heart-shaped Wilton whoopie pie 12-cavity pan.  (You can find it in the linked website.)

Secondly, I dyed the frosting a light pink.  Have you guys ever had the problem of a frosting that was too runny because you had to add so much food coloring?  I had that problem and that's when I started using gel color ( you can purchase it here.).  Gel color is super potent stuff, so a little goes a loooooong way.  As seen in the frosting on these cupcakes.  And please don't make the mistake I did and see how it tastes because it tastes TERRIBLE on its own 😖.  But to be clear, it does NOT affect the taste of frosting or whatever other treat you use it in.

I slightly tweaked this recipe for the cake part and this recipe for the frosting for today's recipe

So I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Maybe you can make in next Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

For the Pies:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Lightly spray whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4.  Add egg and vanilla, beating until well combined.

5.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

6.  Add half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, mixing on low speed.

7.  When the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, stop mixing and add the buttermilk.

8.  Keep mixing on low speed until all the ingredients in the bowl are almost incorporated.

9.  Stop mixing and add the remaining dry ingredients, then mix on low speed until just combined.

10.  Spoon 1.5 T. batter into each cavity, spreading the batter to the edges.

11.  Bake for 7 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a couple of the cakes comes out clean.

12.  Allow the cakes to cool in pan for 8 minutes prior to them removing from the pan and cooling completely before filling.

13.  Enjoy the cakes, storing unfrosted cakes at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For the Filling

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 7.5 oz. marshmallow creme
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pink gel color as desired

1.  In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, creme together the butter and marshmallow creme until light and fluffy.

2.  Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating on low until mixed.

3.  Beat in the vanilla extract and gel color.

4.  Enjoy the filling, storing the in the fridge for up to 5 days and the frosted pies in the fridge for 5 days as well.