Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies

It may be hard to believe, but these adorable mini whoopie pies are made with only 6 ingredients.  I know, right?  

To make the cookies, combine one box of dry devils food cake mix and one can of 100% pure pumpkin puree.  No egg, no water, no oil, just the dry mix and pumpkin.  That's all.  I mix them in my stand mixer using a BeaterBlade or flat beater attachment. 

Then I use a #50 scoop to portion 1 tablespoon mounds of dough onto silpat lined half sheet pans.  This recipe will make 4 pans of cookies.  If you don't have 4 pans with liners, you can rotate 2 pans - just be sure the pans are completely cool before putting cookie dough on them.  

While the cookies are baking, make the cream filling. 

Cream together room temperature butter and confectioners sugar.  Make sure the butter is at room temperature.  This is one of the few recipes that I use salted butter.  You can use unsalted if you like, just add a healthy pinch or two of fine salt for flavor. 

Whip the butter and sugar together for a full 3 minutes.  I like to use my BeaterBlade attachment so I don't have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  LOVE my BeaterBlade!!  

Add the marshmallow cream.  It's so sticky!

And lastly, add pure vanilla extract. Use the good stuff - it makes all the difference. 

Mix again, just until the marshmallow cream and vanilla are fully incorporated.

Place the cream filling in a large pastry bag fitted with a round tip.  I like to use plastic and polycarbonate tips for several reasons:

1. They don't have seams, which can leave marks in your piped design.

2. They don't get cold like metal tips. cold metal can make some fillings seize and clog the tip (like anything containing temperature sensitive ingredients like chocolate or butter).

3. You can spot large air bubbles before they have a chance to explode all over the place.

Ok, back to our mini whoopie pies.  Squeeze a good dollop of filling on the flat side of one cookie and top with another cookies, sandwiching the two flat sides together as shown below.

And that's all there is to it.  Store these bite-size treats in an airtight container.  Serve chilled.

Items used to make this recipe:

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3r9wNGK

• marshmallow cream https://amzn.to/3rmcFBu

• #50 scoop https://amzn.to/32OW1Rg

• beaterblade https://amzn.to/348gOzS

• half sheet pans https://amzn.to/3L6vNv8

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3rjZzo3

• 100% pure pumpkin puree https://amzn.to/3IVYxob

• devils food cake mix https://amzn.to/3ugjfew

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Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies

makes approximately 30 mini whoopie pies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Whoopie Pies

• 18.5 ounce box devils food cake mix

• 15 ounces 100% pure pumpkin puree

Filling

• 16 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

• 2 cups confectioners sugar

• 7.5 ounces marshmallow cream

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 half sheet pans with silpats.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade (or paddle attachment), combine cake mix and pumpkin until no signs of dry cake mix remain.

3. Use a #50 scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to portion 15 cookies onto each prepared sheet pan.

4. Bake one pan at a time, in the center of the oven, for 15 minutes; repeat until all cookie dough is baked (be sure sheet trays are completely cool before placing cookie dough on them).

5. Allow cookies to cool completely on sheet pan before filling.

To make filling and assemble whoopie pies:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade (or paddle attachment), cream butter and sugar together for 3 minutes.

2. Add marshmallow cream and vanilla; mix until combined.

3. Place filling in a disposable pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.

4. Pipe filling onto flat side of one cooled cookie and top with a second cookie to form a mini whoopie pie; continue until all the cookies are filled.

5. Chill whoopie pies in an airtight container; serve cold.

Notes

• Leftover cream filling can be frozen in an airtight container.  

• Thaw overnight in the fridge and re-whip to restore consistency if needed.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner

You don't have to be Irish or wait for St. Patrick's Day to enjoy Corned Beef and Cabbage - it simmers away on your stovetop for hours, making your house smell amazing and giving you plenty of time to do other things.  Every time I make it, I look forward to having leftovers so I can make other yummy things like Corned Beef Hash and Reuben Sandwiches. 

Buy a package of corned beef.  The one pictured above is the flat cut.

Place in a stock pot and cover with cold water by 1 or 2 inches.

Add the seasoning packet.

Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 50 minutes per pound.  Skim as needed.

An hour before it's done, add the carrots.  A half hour before it's done, add the potatoes.  Be sure to keep covered.

Fifteen minutes before it's done, add the cabbage wedges - again, being sure to keep the stockpot covered so the cabbage can steam (it does not need to be submerged under the water).  

When done, carefully remove veggies and corned beef.  Trim excess fat from corned beef and slice thinly across the grain.  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate link)

• dutch oven https://amzn.to/3fCJjqz

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Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

serves 2-3 people per pound

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 pound packaged corned beef (point or flat cut)

• 1 pound red new potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 pound baby carrots

• 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges (keep core in tact to keep wedges from falling apart)

Directions

1. Place corned beef and seasoning packet in 6 or 8-quart stock pot.

2. Fill stock pot with enough water to cover the corned beef by an inch or two.

3. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for a total of 50 minutes per pound (my 4 pound corned beef cooked for a total of about 3 hours and 20 minutes). Feel free to skim any scum that rises to the surface, being careful not to remove seasonings.

4. An hour before the corned beef is done, put the carrots in the stockpot, making sure they go do down into the water.

5. a half hour before the corned beef is done, put the potatoes in the stockpot, making sure they go down into the water.

6. Fifteen minutes before the corned beef is done, place wedges on top of corned beef . It's okay if the cabbage wedges don't get submerged under the water - cover the stockpot and the steam in the pot will cook the cabbage.

7. Carefully remove the cabbage wedges from the pot and place on serving platter.

8. Remove corned beef from stockpot and place on cutting board; slice thinly across the grain and arrange on serving platter.

9. Remove carrots and potatoes from stock pot and arrange on serving platter.