Making Whoopee Pie

Since cupcakes are so last year and whoopie pies are all the rage I decided to spend my Saturday night making whoopie (pies, that is). The first item on the agenda was figuring out what flavor to make. Let's see now. I could make s'more whoopie pies. For that I would make a graham cookie and then fill it with a marshmallow cream something or other and a genache. Genache is always in so far as I am concerned. Or... I might make a banana whoopie pie. I would fill that with a vanilla whipped cream filling. Perhaps a strawberry whoopie filled with a cream cheese, whipped cream, smashed up strawberries? Those ideas will all have to be developed another night. The ideas are fomenting in my tired brain. Hey! Thinking of all these whoopie pies tires a lady out! So for now it is chocolate whoopie pies with peanut butter filling. I am always putty in the hands of chocolate and peanut butter.
Before we get to the recipe, let's get this name straight. Whoopie refers to the pie. Definiton 1 of Whoopee refers to the affection I feel for the sweeties in my life when I spend an evening baking for them. Definiton 2 is from the Newlywed Game. I have no idea what Bob Eubanks was talking about those many, many years ago. I was just a kid.

Making Whoopee Pie

4 Cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter
2 eggs
1 Cup milk
1 Cup warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°,
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar, and eggs. Beat 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients, milk, and water to the egg mixture. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and beat one additional minute. This batter is for a cake like cookie. Bake as drop cookies. Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the center of the cookie springs back when lightly touched. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Filling
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
3 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 Cup milk

Blend butter and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar and milk. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended then beat at high speed until light and fluffy. To make whoopie pies spread the bottom of one cookie generously with filling, then top with another cookie. Wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap and give them to the peoples you love!

Sweet Cherry Plum Pie

The kids came over for a "pre-July 4 BBQ, taste test Mom's new pie before she dumps another new one on her sweet adopted family" trial run. Michael liked the pies. Yes, I made 2. I made a blueberry standby in case the sweet cherry plum pie proved to be another one of Mary's Little Failures.
According to Michael, such was not the case. He tried to crawl across the table to get more!!! (His Daddy stopped him.) Score!! Ah yes! Babies are a delight to feed. Nothing warms the heart quite like hearing a 2 year old say, "Nummy, Mimi, Nummy."

If All Else Fails Pie Crust

2½ cups flour (unbleached all-purpose)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
½ cup cold shortening
¼ cup cold vodka
¼ cup cold water

In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter and shortening into flour mixture until the flour and fat (can you believe I used THAT word?) form pea-sized chunks.
Sprinkle vodka and water over the flour and fat (there is THAT word again) and mix in with a rubber spatula just until the pastry comes together and is still tacky. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes.
Of course if all else fails then drink the vodka and forget about the pie.

Sweet Cherry and Plum Pie

2 red plums, chopped and pitted
6 cups (about 2 pounds) pitted sweet cherries
½ cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
2 tablespoons instant tapioca, ground
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 425º.

Process plums and 1 cup pitted cherries in a food processor or blender until the fruit is smooth. Pour the puree into a large bowl. Measure the sugar, salt, cinnamon and ground tapioca together in a small bowl. Mix well. Stir the sugar mixture and lemon juice into the fruit; let stand 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the work surface with flour and then roll out 1/4 of the pastry into a 12 inch circle. Line the pie pan with the rolled-out pastry and then pour fruit mixture into pan and dot the fruit mixture with butter pieces. On the floured work surface, roll a second pastry ball into an 11-inch circle. Roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and unroll over the pie, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Flute edges with thumb and forefinger to seal. Sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar. With a sharp knife cut vents into the pastry top.

Place pie in preheated oven and bake 35 minutes or until the juices bubble around the edges and the crust is deep golden brown.
Transfer pie to wire rack and let it cool.