Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here. I hope you are all enjoying holiday treats week!
One quick announcement – the winners of Embrace the Highland Warrior are: Gerri Brousseau and Anne Francis. Congratulations ladies!
In case, you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for chocolate.
One of my favorite indulgences is Whoopie Pies.
For those unfamiliar with Whoopie Pies, they are a Northeastern treat whose origin is hotly contested. Maine claims to be the home of the Whoopie Pie while Lancaster, Pennsylvania begs to differ.
I’m not getting in the middle of that debate!
So what is a Whoopie Pie? Some call it a cake, others a cookie, but one thing it’s not is an actual pie. There is no tin. No flaky crust. Usually they are chocolate, but I’ve seen gingerbread, pumpkin, and red velvet varieties.
I like to think of Whoopie Pies as an inside out cupcake (because the frosting is on the inside!) My favorite recipe uses boxed cake mix (hey, I like it easy) and homemade filling. You can find a link for the recipe at the end of the post.
The first time I made Whoopie Pies, two Christmases ago, I made them for a holiday party at a friend’s house. Within the first hour, my intrepid, chocolate loving friends were already sneaking them off the plastic-wrapped plate. By the time desert rolled around, a noticeable dent had been made.
Of course, I knew who the culprits were. My friends have no shame. Chocolate was involved so the little Whoopies were fair game. (Rhyme unintended). Friends are funny. Mine claim that there are no calories in food eaten at parties. Just like there are no calories in food eaten standing up.
Uh. Huh. Don’t we all wish?
I won’t lie, these treats take a little more work than cupcakes. First, you have to make the chocolate “pie” by dropping teaspoons of batter onto a cookie sheet. Once they cool off, they need to be assembled like Oreo cookies. And, of course, you have to resist the urge to eat them under the thinly veiled disguise of “quality control”.
But they are worth the effort. And I love to see the smiles on my friend’s faces. If you’d like to try making these delightful chocolate treats, click here!
What treats do you like to make? What brings smiles to your friends and family?
Writing Secrets of 7 Scribes 
My old boss used to make woopie pies from scratch for every Bring-Something-Yummy-To-Work occasion…they were DELICIOUS! I’ll have to compare your recipe to hers….lots of lard, but wicked good!
Next time, I’m going to try an make them from scratch. I like the box mix because it saves time, but the cakes tend to flatten out as the cool. And maybe I will get a whoopie pie pan – I’ve seen them around.
These look luscious! I will try them some cold, snowy Saturday in January or February. Sometimes it’s fun to bake something that’s a bit fussy. And congratulations, Casey, on your latest sale. Vampire stripper on Mars? What’s not to love? Scribe fans, if you haven’t heard the news, pop over to Casey’s blog for the scoop: http://caseywyatt.com/
Thanks Suze! I promise to do a Scribes post on my latest sale (with all the details)!
The hardest thing about whoopie pies is not eating them all. I love the filling and I can’t keep away from it!
My dad’s homemade Peanut butter fudge is a holiday tradition and the yummiest treat i know. It’s jam packed with fond memories of dad.
That sounds so yummy. I hope you will consider sharing it with us – your buddies!! And I’d love to hear about your dad!
OMG, those look delightful. Now I think I’ve found my new best friend. Deliciousness in a few bites. Yum!
They are really good. That’s why I only make them if I’m giving them away. I made them for a Christmas party last Saturday and only left a few behind for the kids (which they devoured – either that or I was eating them in my sleep!).
“I like to think of Whoopie Pies as an inside out cupcake.”
I think that should be an official defintion for whoopie pies. Perfect. 😀 I grew up in Maine but I must say, I can’t stomach whoopie pies – way too sweet for me…but I can’t help to smile when I see one. 🙂
Yes, they make me smile too. And I won’t ask where you stand on the whoopie pie origin debate! Whenever we are, if I see whoopies, I always pause and lust after them! Shameful, I know!
Yum! I recall loving those when I was a girl (many, many years ago). Haven’t had them in years. They certainly couldn’t rival those cupcakes you make … do die for! I will be sure to give these a try. Thanks for the holiday treat posts … I love to cook and bake and I’m really enjoying these recipes. PS – I’m very excited to have won a copy of Embrace The Highland Warrior and I’m looking forward to getting it and diving right in to reading it.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! And I know you will love Anita’s book. If you haven’t read the first book – Awaken the Highland Warrior, please check it out! You will love that one too – Faelan (love the name) is dreamy!
I left a message on your recipe page. I must be nuts, am I the only one who doesn’t like whoopie pie? You gotta like marshmallows. On a stick roasting over a bonfire is what I like. Otherwise, any chocolate cake I make in any form has to have buttercream in the middle. It can even be chocolate butter cream, maybe with a little Kahlua. Served warm with ice cream.
Whoopie pie filling can be whatever you like! I just happen to use this recipe because it’s an old family favorite (and you can’t tell there is marshmallow in it!). And served with ice cream – yumo!! Thanks Gail!
I just baked several hundred Christmas cookies. Now I may have to try some whoopie pies. Those look really good!
Julia – if you want to unload some of the Christmas cookies onto me, please let me know! I know you are a fabulous baker. I am sure you can create real cake from scratch rather than using boxed mix!
I don’t cook ever, but I really want to go out and try these! My waist line won’t forgive me.
Lucky for you – whoopie pies can be found in most grocery store bakeries!