A dessert hamburger? A BFO (Big Fat Oreo)? Part cake? Part cookie? Dare I say...the new cupcake!?
"Whoopie Pies" have been a favorite sweet of mine since, well, long before I even had my first cupcake. Growing up in Maine they were regular fare at birthday parties, fancy restaurants, road side cafes and even gas stations. Heck, there's even a Whoopie Pie Festival! New Englanders claim them as their own, but according to Food Historians (and the wiki-gods) Amish women would bake these (known as "hucklebucks" at the time) and put them in farmers' lunchboxes. When farmers would find these treats in their lunch, they would shout "Whoopie!"
This baked good consists of two round-shaped mounds of chocolate (sometimes pumpkin) cake with a sweet, sugary, creamy frosting sandwiched between them. Simply put, this is a serious dessert!
Over the weekend, my friend and fellow New Englander, celebrated her 40th birthday. To treat all of the party goers, I made a batch of Whoopie Pies, this time using a creamy peanut butter frosting in the middle. They were a huge hit with the mostly west coast crowd. I used a Martha Stewart recipe but have to believe there's a more authentic/down-home one out there - sorry Martha! And speaking of more authentic/down-home items...here are some Whoopie-centric sites to learn more about these "wicked" good treats!
- Wicked Whoopie Pies in Richmond, Maine
- Labadie's Bakery in Lewiston, Maine
I love Whoopie Pies! One of my favorite desserts of all time. I have an excellent recipe I can share with you. I'll make a copy of it!
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