Valentine's Day Treats for Peeps

Red Velvet Cake, an old Southern classic, is having a hipster moment in the New York area.  Every bakery has a red velvet cake or cupcake on the menu.  In fact like all cool things in New York, I think its moment is winding to a close.  That is really too bad because Red Velvet Cake is very tasty and it is of course the perfect treat for Valentine's Day.  I've made cupcakes, and cake, before, but this is my first time making Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.  Whoopie Pies are a desert with New England origins with a dispute raging as to whether they where first developed in Pennsylvania or Maine.   These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are the perfect marriage of Southern and New England Desert traditions.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

2 1/4 cups  all purpose flour

1/4 cup  Dutch-processed cocoa powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup  granulated white sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring

Cream CheeseFilling:

1/2 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups  confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:Preheat oven to 375 degrees ) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Ina large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl ofyour electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating well. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a small measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Drop heaping tablespoons (can also use a small ice cream scoop) of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches  apart. With moistened fingers or with the back of a spoon, smooth the tops of the cookies.

Bake for about 9-10 minutesor until the tops of the cookies, when lightly pressed, spring back(or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean). Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.


To Assemble:Take one cookie and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of the cookie. Top with another cookie. If desired, take a little of the filling and thin it out, to piping consistency, with a little milk or cream. Place in a small piping bag or plastic bag and pipe lines back and forth over the tops of the Whoopie Pies. The assembled cookies can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.


Makes about 17 sandwich cookies.