December 26, 2011
christmas day.
December 24, 2011
it's ok.
December 20, 2011
hello christmas!
evening all! with only a few days till christmas and an already bulging belly (and a few requests), i thought it incredibly appropriate to share the new baked love in my life. the gingerbread whoopie pie. a few have asked what a whoopie* is...i however, just love saying the word whoopie. i even half close my right eye like i'm some kinda gangsta talking about some sweet new drug i just scored. what am i even talking about? i must be high on baileys fudge. i scored this sweet recipe online (thank you pink parsley) and it totally delivered. not only is gingerbread the taste of christmas for me, the uncooked batter is to die for. i don't recommend eating too much of it if you want something to show for all of your hard work (unless you have a kitchenaid and it's all done for you!) these were a complete darling to make. they held their shape in the oven and made the house smell divine. the key to whoopies (and cupcakes for that matter) is to keep an eye on them. with 24 or so whoopie discs in the oven at a time, they don't take too long to cook. there's an art to baking and it's kinda like a relationship, you have to stay committed and you will be rewarded. probably explains why i'm boyfriendless as i clearly put baking before boys! i would LOVE to see what you make if you do decide to grab yourself some festive whoopie action. they're well worth the effort...if only for the taste testing of the lemon cream cheese filling..YUM!
gingerbread whoopie pies.
3 3/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses (golden syrup)
3/4 cup buttermilk
Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
12 ounces (340g) cream cheese, cold
8 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract plus more as desired
zest of 1 lemon
3 3/4 -4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, beating until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
With the mixer on low speed, mix in half the dry ingredients. Add the molasses (syrup), then the remaining dry ingredients. Finally, add the buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated.
Use a medium cookie scoop or a pastry bag fitted with a round tip to form the cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies a few inches apart, and bake 9-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through, until the cookies are cooked through and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest, and mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar. Once it is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
Match the cookies together by size, and pipe or spread filling over half the cookies. Form sandwiches with the remaining halves, and serve or store in an airtight container. Makes around 28 pies.
*whoopie pies are a dessert that consists of two cake-like cookies sandwiching a creamy, frosting-like filling. it is easy to think of them as a more portable version of a cupcake, where the frosting is inside of the cake and there is no wrapper to contend with.