Making Whoopie....

Mark my words.. these little guys are going to give the cupcake craze a run for their money.
Thats right girls, you heard it here first.
Meet the whoopie pie... the ugly step sister to the cupcake. I have been making these with the kids this morning and they are delicious!!!
They are a cross between a cupcake and a biscuit and originated in the 1920's in USA by the Amish who used to pack them for their husbands so the icing didn't go everywhere... well except for these little guys. This one is a chocolate and walnut one... yummo They are super easy and quick to make and I even made these ones with the traditional pumpkin spice that the kids have demolished without knowing they had pumpkin... which by the way negates the sugar and fat because its a vegetable so its fat and sugar free ;).

Get in first before the craze starts so you can say..."oh Whoopie Pies, yeah, Ive been making them for ages..." (and flick your hair because you are a domestic goddess)

Here is the reci-pie. I like to use the scales while cooking so I don't have to wash all the little cup measure-thingos...

Spiced Pumpkin and cream cheese whoopie pies

280g plain flour

1/2 tspn bi carb

1 tspn each of cinnamon, ground ginger and baking powder

1/4 tspn each of ground cloves and star anise

1/2 tspn salt

200g brown sugar

115ml vegetable oil - I use rice bran oil because it has no taste but light olive oil is good too.

250g pumpkin puree

65ml milk

1 egg

preheat oven to 180 and line 2 oven trays

Sift all the flour, raising agents, spices and salt in a bowl making sure the raising agents are mixed in well.

In a separate bowl, add the sugar, oil, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add the egg and whisk to combine. Now slowly add the dry ingredients and mix to combine well. Place in fridge for half an hour - lick the beaters well.

Make the filling while you wait...

Drop 18 large or 48 small scoops of batter, 5 cm apart onto the trays.

Lick the bowl.

bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 mins for large ones and 8-10 mins for the small ones until the cakes are left with an impression when you poke them with your finger.

Let them cool before you try one as it hurts your mouth...

Cream Cheese Filling..

300g icing sugar - sifted

55g butter

115g philli cheese

1/2 tspn vanilla (I use Queen brand paste which makes it look pretty with the seeds)

1 tspn maple syrup (just the cheap stuff is ok here)

beat the butter until pale, add the cream cheese scraping down the side until combined. Add the sifted sugar gradually until it becomes fluffy and add the maple syrup and vanilla and mix well.

Spread the filling on one cooled whoopie and top with another to sandwich it - sample one to make sure its ok ... maybe another to double check... eat that wonky one so no one sees it... lick the filling from that one.. well now that you licked it you have to eat it now... that one looks tasty so eat that one... dust with icing sugar if you like... now they look good enough to eat so eat one... check that the icing sugar is ok by eating one... start making a new batch ... lick any remaining bowls.

there - domestic goddessness easily done...

Time to work on my scrappers spread which has nothing to do with too many cakes...

Ok - kids are on a sugar high - gotta go...