{Whoopieeee!!!!!!!!!!!!! : Red Velvet Whoopie Pies}

The legend goes, that if an Amish child (or it’s been said husband) opened their lunch pail and found one of these in there, they would shout, “Whoopie!”.  They were supposedly made from leftover batter and therefore a rare treat. 

And that is how the Whoopie Pie got it’s name.

I’ve never made a whoopie pie before. 

I’ve been wanting to for a really long time, but I’ve been wanting to hire a rainbow colored unicorn to fly me to England.

Just because I want, doesn’t mean it’s gunna happen.

In the case of the Whoopie Pie, however… it did.

I’m still waiting for my unicorn.

It’s late.

I got the grand idea last night, that my first Whoopie Pie would be a red velvet whoopie pie.

So, I spent a good hour making up my own recipe by mashing together red velvet cake and a few different whoopie pie recipes.

I shoulda googled “Red Velvet Whoopie Pie recipe”. 

It was late. I wasn’t thinking straight.

However… my first 'original recipe’ was kinda awesome.

Here’s the down and dirties:

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Cake:

1 2/3 Cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Shortening

1/4 Cup (1/2 sick) Butter

1 Cup Milk

1 Large Egg

1 Tablespoon Red Food Coloring (or more)

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar (I totally forgot to put this in!)

Preheat oven to 375* 

Mix together the butter, shortening, sugar, and egg. Beat in the vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients while mixing slowly. Finally add in the red food coloring (I used 1/2 teaspoon gel coloring, because that’s what I had!) and vinegar. Unless you forget the vinegar. 

Like I did. 

You’ll notice mine are not a DEEP red velvet. Add another Tablespoon of red food coloring if you crave the cranberry. 

Or the vinegar might make a difference. 

But don’t ask me, because I wouldn’t know. 

Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets. I started big. They were SO big. The size of a hamburger almost. Though I've read that is the correct size, it's just crazy big. 

Then I went down to the small cookie scoop. I'd guess it to be about 1 Tablespoon. 

Both batches I baked for 10 mins. 

They will be springy when done. 

Cool for a few minutes before moving to wire rack. 

Pretty…

While you are baking, you can start your filling.

Red Velvet is nearly always topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. I considered this, but bucked tradition and went with an Amish Cream Filling.

I’ll tell you right here, right now. SWEET.

I have a dentist appointment next week. 

I think I have a new cavity due to this filling.

Not that it’s not good.. because it’s sooooooo good. I just wouldn’t recommend eating it with a spoon :D

Not that I’d ever do such a thing!

Ok, here we go.

Amish Cream Filling

3 teaspoons flour

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Crisco

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) Butter

2 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

Mix flour and milk in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. It will thicken as you stir. When done it will look like this.

Cool completely. I sat my pan in an ice water bath to cool faster.

Cream together Crisco, butter, sugar and vanilla. Then add cooled milk mixture. Add powdered sugar. This will be thick when done. Your spoon will stand in it, and it will not drip off.

By the way, this makes about double what you’ll need… I found out the hard way.

Fill your cooled Whoopie Pies with this.

Whoopies for lil kids

Whoopies for big kids

Whoopies for all!

Yummy. The soft cakes, which are somewhere between a cake and cookie texture balance the creamy sweet filling perfectly.

My first original recipe and it wasn’t an epic fail! WOOHOOO!

erm.. I mean, WHOOPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With a whisk and a dream… Tina