Whoopie Pies and Coconut Butter

The first time I had a whoopie pie was in early April in Chicago, at a bakery across from our hotel.

It. was. heaven.

I choose chocolate with vanilla creme instead of chocolate with peanut butter, which is something I usually don't do.  If there's a choice that involves peanut butter it's usually a no-brainer.  But I was in Chicago and I wanted to go simple with a classic- Chicagoan- whoopie pie.

So the other night I decided to try my hand at making whoopie pies, and I wanted to recreate the beautiful black and white combo that I had in Chicago.  I used Gourmet's recipe, and they turned out quite well.  It was one of those things where you stand over the plate when no one else is there and keep taking slivers, because slivers don't count.  But there's nothing wrong with that :)

Whoopie Pies


from Gourmet

Cakes:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg

Filling:
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined.  Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg, beating until combined well.  Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mix and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour.  Mix until smooth.
Spoon 1/4 cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 greased baking sheets.  Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching halfway through, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes.

Beat filling ingredients with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

I think so!

We're not too fancy with spreading the filling...

but all's well that ends well :) Like the fact that I'd never read the last part of the prep instructions before typing them here.

Yesterday I tried my hand at homemade coconut butter.  I've read that after 15 or 20 minutes in the food processor, shredded coconut will be coconut butter, and that sounded good to me!  It didn't really turn out- I don't know what happened, but I had to add some water and it still has a grainy consistency.

It's still good though, and with an almond and some chocolate you can whip up a speedy Almond Joy! :)