April 14, 2010
Sherri Meyer, MG Registered Dietitian

MG extraordinaire Leslie Phillips' latest blog mentioning whoopie pies got me thinking. What is the difference between a "moon" pie and a "whoopie" pie? According to Wikipedia here are the "official" defenitions:

A moon pie is a pastry, which consists of two round graham cracker cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center, dipped in chocolate or other flavors. It is a commercial product and not simply a generic snack.

A whoopie pie (alternatively called a gob, black-and-white, bob, or "BFO" for Big Fat Oreo) is a baked good made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, sometimes pumpkin cake, with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them.

I have never made Moon or Whoopie Pies, but the Whoopie pies have always been appealing to me (moist cakey chocolate, yum). Whoopie pies are actually pretty simple to make (especially since I just skipped the filling recipe and used Marshmallow Cream which worked great). They were moist, cakey and yummy. Of course since the recipe is from Cooking Light, they were not the calorie/fat-laden cookies they appear to be. The cookies were enjoyed by all, especially Oliver who loved to pull them apart and lick out the filling!  

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Marshmallow Cream Filling
“Whoopie Pie”
Yield:  16 servings (serving size: 1 cookie)

COOKIES:

• 1 cup sugar

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)

• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup fat-free buttermilk

• Cooking spray

FILLING: ( I skipped this step and used Marshmallow Cream)

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

• 3/4 cup cold water, divided

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. To prepare cookies, combine 1 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs; beat until combined. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

4. To prepare filling, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl; set aside. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, syrup, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 244°. Remove from heat. Gradually pour hot sugar syrup into softened gelatin mixture, beating with a mixer at low speed, then at high speed until thick (about 6 minutes), scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well blended.

5. Quickly spread about 2 tablespoons filling over bottom side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie. Repeat procedure with remaining filling and cookies.

Source: Cooking Light, July 2008

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