Pumpkin Pear Strudel

I probably need to rescind some comments that I've made recently about not liking anything pumpkin.  Because the more fall-like recipes I make, the more I realize pumpkin is good for things other than a festive holiday jack-o-lantern.  Take, for example, this pumpkin pear strudel, which is equally delicious whether you eat it for breakfast or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for breakfast.  Hey, it counts as a serving of dairy, right?!

I found this recipe a few years ago in a Nestle/Libby's Very Best Baking booklet (the kind you see in the grocery store check-out line).  Like most of the things that I'm successful at making, it's quick and easy and doesn't require a tremendous amount of concentration - including prep time, it took me about 45 minutes.

Unfortunately, in my rush to collect the ingredients last night, I accidentally picked up a pack of phyllo instead of puff pastry.  Same thing, right?  Apparently not.  I wasn't clear on the difference, but I knew for a fact that a)  I wanted to do this right the first time, and b) I didn't want to try my hand at making puff pastry from scratch.  I think on one of the message boards I saw online someone indicated that puff pastry was a bit "tedious" to make.  Even I knew when to leave well enough alone.  Since I didn't want to subject the dog to another dough-induced temper tantrum, I made an early morning trek to Publix for a package of Pepperide Farm puff pastry sheets (you can find them in the frozen food section somewhere near the pie shells and/or bread dough).   And after a little chopping and mixing, less than an hour later I was rewarded with the smell (and taste) of sweet success!

Pumpkin Pear Strudel
Serves 10
(Note:  This recipe makes 2 strudels of 5 servings each)

Ingredients:
2 small pears, peeled, cored and diced  (please remember to make sure your pears are ripe.  If they aren't, they will not miraculously ripen in the oven.  Don't ask me how I know.  I just do.)
1 cup LIBBY'S 100% pure pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 sheets (17 1/4 ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine pears, pumpkin, brown sugar, walnuts (I used pecans.  I can't imagine this wouldn't be good if you opt to forgo the nuts entirely), cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in medium bowl.  Spoon half of filling in center third of one pastry sheet.

Make downward slanting cuts in outer edges of pastry about 3/4 inch apart, cutting from outside edges to within about 1 inch of pear mixture.  Starting at top, fold side pastry strips alternately over filling, forming a chevron design. 

Seal at top and bottom of strudel.  Place on ungreased rimmed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining filling and remaining pastry sheet.  Brush strudel with egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.  Serve warm.

Ginger Cookies

Admittedly, last week was a little difficult on the baking front for me, what with the sugar bun saga and the sticky bun SNAFU.  I'll be completely honest with you - them buns kicked my butt!  And yet by some miracle, my friends are still reminiscing about how good they were.  Because although the execution wasn't flawless, the results were pretty darned exceptional.

Nevertheless, this past weekend when I baked some treats for a friend's get-together, I didn't think I could weather another blow to my somewhat fragile ego.  So I opted for a tried-and-true recipe that's not only easy to make, but also a crowd favorite - ginger cookies.

If the thought of ginger brings to mind ginger snaps, those rock hard confections that pose a danger to your dental work, I can understand your apprehension about trying these.  Frequently when people taste them for the first time, their initial bites of cookie come with a healthy dose of skepticism on the side.  Believe it or not, though, every single person I know who's tried them absolutely loves them.  Because these cookies, with their subtle flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and sugary outer crunch, are incredibly addictive.  Be warned - you may not be able to stop at one...I never can.

Ginger Cookies
Makes approximately 3 dozen

2/3 cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar + additional for rolling
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, combine oil, molasses and sugar until combined. (I still mix these by hand, but I imagine you could use an electric mixer).  Add egg. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt and add slowly to wet ingredients.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Form chilled dough into balls (mine are roughly the size of a walnut) and roll in sugar.  Place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  For the cookies to remain chewy in the center, they need to be removed from the oven when they're still slightly puffy.  If you take them out after they've flattened, the cookies will be crunchy (but will still taste great).

Sticky Buns

It's a wonder that anything even remotely edible comes out of my kitchen.  Ever.  Because more often than not I get distracted  by something, lose my mojo, and can't remember, for instance, how many cups of flour I've measured into the batter.  Or whether I put in the baking powder.  Or if I actually laid parchment in the bottom of the pan BEFORE I poured in the cake batter.  Or on occasion, if I actually washed the mixing bowl, or did the dog just do a superior job of licking it clean?  (Hah!  Joking!  I swear!).

This morning I planned to regale you with stories of the fabulous sticky buns I'd made from another Martha Stewart recipe.  It seemed like an easy enough task - I was using the half-recipe of leftover Danish Dough from the Sugar Buns, so I only needed six basic ingredients to go from dough to "Whoa!!" in a couple of hours.  How hard could it be? 

Well, my friends, it seems I cursed myself.  Again.  Because if you recall the Sugar Bun incident, that innocent little thought is my culinary kiss of death.  Every.  Single.  Time.  I'll admit I was a wee bit cavalier while making the buns.  I didn't even measure most of the ingredients - I just eyeballed a bit of this and a touch of that.  I've made sticky buns and cinnamon rolls any number of times.  Any amateur baker worth their salt knows you just roll out the dough, sprinkle in the good stuff, roll 'em up, cut, and let rise.  Then you bake.  Easy peasy.  No problemo. 

Imagine my shock and horror when I finally realized (but only after cutting the buns and placing them in the pan) that I'd omitted the brown sugar from "the good stuff" in the middle of each.  I thought briefly about unwrapping each one, sprinkling in the brown sugar, and re-rolling them.  No one would be the wiser, and they'd come out just the way they should.  Much to my chagrin, though, each doughy piece had been submerged in the gooey corn syrup-brown sugar-nut mixture that would eventually become the topping.  It was like they'd been glued into the pan.  And, sadly, folks, there is no recovering from that. 

To me, because there is nothing more disappointing, frustrating, and shameful than goofing up something home-baked, I briefly toyed with the idea of deep-sixing the buns down the garbage disposal. Just one more secret for me, the dog, and the disposal to share.  Thank goodness neither of them can talk.  And, once again, thank goodness I didn't act on impulse.  Instead, I threw the buns in the oven and said a little prayer,  but didn't expect much of anything edible as a result.  To my surprise, 30 minutes later, the tantalizing scent of baking sticky buns was wafting out of my kitchen.  Encouraged by this turn of events, I threw caution to the wind and took a peek in the oven.   And guess what?  The buns looked the way  homemade sticky buns should look - lightly browned with a sugary syrup bubbling slightly around the edges.  Even better, they tasted the way a fresh-from-the-oven sticky bun should taste - warm and wonderful!  The sweetness of the sugary glaze more than made up for what was lacking in the dough itself. 

Sticky Buns
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
Makes 12

1/2 recipe Danish Dough (This recipe can be found in the previous Sugar Bun posting)
Unsalted butter (for pans)
3 1/3 cups pecan halves
2 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3/4 cup plus 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
All purpose flour for dusting
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Let dough stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 15 minutes.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  Generously butter two 6-cup jumbo muffin pans (each cup should have a 7 ounce capacity).  Chop 2 cups pecans, and break the remaining 1 1/3 cups in half lengthwise, keeping the two groups separate.  Pour 3 tablespoons corn syrup into each muffin cup, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.  Divide halved pecans evenly among the muffin cups.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to an 18-by-14-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a spatula, spread the sour cream over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border.  Dust the sour cream with cinnamon, and sprinkle with chopped pecans and remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar.  Roll up the dough tightly lengthwise to form a log about 3 inches in diameter, and trim the ends with a serrated knife.  Transfer log to the prepared baking sheet.  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

Using a sharp knife and sawing motion, slice the dough crosswise into 12 rounds, about 1 1/2 inches thick, and place in prepared pans.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until 1/2 inch above the cups, 20 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to the oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until buns are dark golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Immediately turn the buns out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Replace any pecan halves that have fallen off.  Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Sticky buns are best eaten the day they are baked.

Sugah, Those are Some Fiiine Buns!

I have a love hate relationship with Martha Stewart recipes.  Love, because if you are willing to put in the effort, the results are almost always fabulous.  Hate, because, well, the recipes can be intimidating, time consuming, and at times, just darned difficult! 

On Saturday morning, I was up for a baking challenge.  Or at least I thought I was.  The crisp Fall air put a spring in my step and gave me a hankering for something doughy and delicious.  Flipping through several cookbooks, I found the sugar bun photo in Martha's Baking Handbook to be irresistibly alluring.  They looked absolutely luscious - soft and sugary and quite frankly, yummy.   "How hard could it be?" I asked myself.  Hah!  How hard could it be.  Seriously! 

Two days later, when I had finally finished the pastry cream and the dough and was ready to assemble the buns, I envisioned how satisfying it would be to just stuff the dough down the garbage disposal and grind it to a pulp.  Take that, Martha Stewart and your difficult recipes!  And the story would have ended there if my pride hadn't taken over.  I had excitedly told friends I was going to try my hand at making sugar buns, painting a picture of pure custardy, confectionary bliss.  So I needed to see this through, whether the results were good, bad, or so inedible even the dog wouldn't eat them. 

So I put on my big girl panties and mustered up some courage.  Was I going to admit defeat?  That I had been bested by a recipe, not so much because my skills were lacking, but because my motivation was?  No!  Was I going to be outwitted by some pastry dough?  No!  And thank goodness I didn't give up.  These sugar buns are amazing, no doubt one of the best things I have ever made.  Sadly, my pictures don't do them justice, and I really have no words to describe just how awesome they were.  But trust me.  They were awesome.

To make the sugar buns, you will need to make both the Pastry Cream and the Danish Dough.  Luckily, both can be prepared in advance, if you don't want to attempt to do this all in one day.

Pastry Cream
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped (sadly, my vanilla bean had been in my pantry so long it had dried out.  I used 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract as a substitute)
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

In medium saucepan, combine the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt.  Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.  Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture.  Continue adding milk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until it has been incorporated.  Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and registers 160 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.  Remove and discard vanilla bean.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the butter, and beat on medium speed until the butter melts and the mixture cools, about 5 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.  Just before using, beat on low speed until smooth.

Chocolate Pastry Cream Variation:  Follow instructions for the Pastry Cream, adding 8 ounces finely chopped best-quality semisweet chocolate along with the butter.  Beat until both butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes.  Strain Pastry Cream into a medium bowl; chill and store as directed above. 

Danish Dough
Makes enough for 2 dozen Danish

Note:  The recipe for Sugar Buns only requires 1/2 of this recipe.

I eliminated the cardamom from my dough because I didn't have any in my spice stash and I didn't want to spend almost $10 for a wee bottle at the grocery store.  Luckily, no one who tasted the finished buns said they'd be great if I'd just added a touch of cardamom!

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 pound 4 ounces (about 4 1/2 cups) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk; stir until dissolved.  Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, and 4 tablespoons butter; beat on low speed until butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes.  Pour in the yeast-milk mixture; mix until dough just comes together.  Add the eggs and yolk; mix until just combined; 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not overmix.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at the bottom of the bowl (This last note confused me a little, because my dough was sticky when I was done mixing it.  Not to worry though, because the flour from the kneading process made it more manageable).  Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds.  Wrap well with plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible.  Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush.  With a short side facing you, evenly distribute the remaining butter over the top 2/3 of the dough.  Fold the unbuttered bottom third of the dough up, then fold the top third of the dough down (similar to the way you would fold a business letter).  This seals in the butter.

Roll out dough again to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, then fold dough into thirds as described above; refrigerate for 1 hour.  This is the first of three turns.  Repeat rolling and folding two more times, refrigerating for at least 1 hour between turns.  To help you remember how many turns have been completed, mark the dough after each one:  Make one mark for the first turn, two for the second, and three for the third.

Refrigerate dough, tightly wrapped in plastic, for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Dough can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 weeks; before using, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight.

Sugar Buns:
Makes 20

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 recipe Danish Dough
1 1/4 cups Pastry Cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Sugar, for coating

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 15-by-12-inch rectangle, about 3/8 inch thick.  Using a ruler and a pizza wheel or pastry cutter, cut dough into twenty 3-inch squares.

Transfer the Pastry Cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip.  Pipe 1 tablespoon into the center of each square.  Brush the edges of each square with the beaten egg.  Gather the edges around the Pastry Cream, pinching the seams together, making sure the bun is completely sealed. 

On a piece of parchment paper, gently roll each bun with floured hands, keeping it seam side down, to form a compact ball.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Place shaped balls, smooth side up, on the prepared sheet, about 3 inches apart.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush gently with the beaten egg.  Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until buns are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brush the butter over the top of the buns.  Place sugar in a wide bowl; dip buttered side of buns into sugar to coat.

Serve at room temperature.  These buns are best eaten the day they are made.

p.s. The dog loved them.  And the neighbor's cat did too :)

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?  To me, it's a quintessential comfort food, and as American as baseball and apple pie.  When I was a kid, all you had to do was flip over a bag of Toll House semi-sweet morsels to find directions for these tempting treats.  Nowadays there seem to be an infinite number of recipes available - one to suit any taste - whether your preference is crispy, chewy, or cake-like.

For those times when I find myself with a craving that rivals Cookie Monster's, this recipe, from the Neiman Marcus website, is the one I turn to.  Yielding cookies that are a combination of crispy and chewy, the dough includes a touch of espresso powder, which helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.

The recipe says that you should bake the cookies for 20 minutes.  When I made them today, I only left them in the oven for 15 minutes, and they came out lightly browned and slightly crisp on the outside, and chewy on the inside.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds).  Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.  In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Whoopie for Whoopie Pies Part 2 - The Pumpkin Whoopie

I’ll be the first to admit that there isn’t much about pumpkin that gets me excited.  Even the promise of a generous dollop of whipped cream won’t entice me to eat a slice of pumpkin pie. But even I know when it’s time to call a temporary hiatus on my moratorium of all things pumpkin.

One bite of these, and I was shouting "Whoopie!" - or I would have, if my mouth hadn’t been crammed full!

This recipe is courtesy of my neighbor (thank you, Helen!), and will yield approximately 2 dozen pies:

For the cakes:
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup oil
1 cup cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat first four ingredients until fluffy, then add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. You may want to watch the time on these. I don’t know if it’s because my oven runs hot or because I bake these on dark pans, but mine were done in the 9-10 minute range.

Below are two options for filling – you can decide which to use based on your personal preference. When I made them, I used the cream cheese frosting, which lent a hint of tangy sweetness to the pies.

Option 1:
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup shortening
4 cups confectioners sugar

Beat egg whites and vanilla well then add flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, milk and shortening until well mixed. Add 4 cups sugar and beat until smooth.

Option 2:
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy

Assemble pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on flat sides of half the cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Like their chocolate siblings, I try to make them a day ahead of when I need them, because they get moister with time. They can be kept, layered between wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.

Whoopie for Whoopie Pies!!

These tasty little orbs of chocolate cake-y gooey goodness are beyond delicious.  So mouth watering, in fact, that I'm always amazed by how many of my friends have never heard of them, let alone tasted them.   Seriously folks, where did you grow up?!


In all fairness, after a little fact checking, it turns out that whoopie pies are actually a regional treat of Amish origins.  So, for those of you who haven't experienced these irresistible goodies first-hand, think of Suzy-Qs.  Only better.  Way better.


The recipe that I use is from epicurious.com.  If you follow the original recipe and use quarter-cupfuls of batter, the recipe will yield 8 whoopie pies.  Because I normally only use a rounded tablespoon, I get about 15 whoopie pies from a single batch. 


For the cakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg


Preheat oven to 350F.  Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined.  Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.  Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well.  Reduce speed to low and alternatively mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.


The original Epicurious recipe says to spoon the batter in 1/4 cup mounds onto greased cooking sheets.  To me, that seems like a lot of batter, and makes too huge a pie.  And after all the effort, who wants to end up with only 8 whoopie pies?!  Instead, I drop rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched.  If you are baking the large size, Epicurious recommends leaving them in the oven for 11 to 13 minutes; for the smaller size, I bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.


Below are two different options for filling.  The first is the marshmallow-based filling included with the original Epicurious recipe.  The second is a recipe for a less sweet old-fashioned whipped cream frosting that a reader recommended as an alternative.  I actually prefer the second recipe.  Shocking, I know, because normally the sweeter the better for me!


For the filling:


Option 1 - Marshmallow based filling
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 cups marshmallow creme, such as Marshmallow Fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla


Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth, about 3 minutes.


Option 2 - Old fashioned whipped cream frosting
1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons sifted flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla


Pour milk into small saucepan. Add flour.  Cook on medium heat until thick. Cool. Cream together butter and shortening until creamy. Add salt, confectioners sugar and vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. With mixer on slow speed, add the cooled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time. Beat on medium high for 3 - 4 minutes or until mixture has a fluffy-creamy texture.


Assemble pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on flat sides of half the cakes and top with remaining cakes.


Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.  I actually prefer to make the whoopie pies a day ahead of time and layer them as suggested above, because the longer they sit, the moister the cake gets.