Bear Hug Whoopie Pies
You’re sure to win little ones’ hearts with these unbearably cute chocolate sandwich cakes stuffed with dreamy raspberry-marshmallow filling!
WHOOPIE PIES
2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. instant coffee granules, optional 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 6 Tbs. shortening, at room temperature 2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk 1 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
FILLING
1 cup butter, at room temperature 1 jar (7 1/2 oz.) Marshmallow Fluff 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. raspberry extract Pink concentrated food coloring
DECORATIONS
12 mini vanilla wafer cookies 12 black jellybeans 24 white mint lentil candies 1 tube (4.25 oz.) black decorating icing, fitted with writing tip 24 Jelly Belly Red Raspberry Hearts candies White and pink heart candies, such as Celebration by Sweet Works Sweet Shapes
Whoopie Pies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, coffee granules if desired, baking soda and salt; reserve. On medium speed, beat sugar, butter and shortening until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. On low, beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Alternately beat in reserved flour mixture and milk. Beat in chocolate until smooth. For ears, drop 24 (1 tsp. each) portions of batter, about 1 1/2" apart, onto 1 baking sheet. With lightly moistened fingers, shape into 1" rounds. Bake 7 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool on rack. For heads, divide remaining batter into 24 portions, about 2 Tbs. each, and drop 2" apart, onto remaining baking sheets. Shape into 2 1/2" rounds. Bake 8-9 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool on racks. Filling: On medium, beat butter and Fluff, until fluffy, 2 minutes. On low, beat in confectioners’ sugar and extracts until combined. On medium, beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Tint pink with food coloring; cover.
Assembly: For faces, attach vanilla cookies wafers, jellybeans and lentils to 12 large cookies using dots of black icing. Pipe on black icing pupils and mouths. For bow ties, attach raspberry hearts and white heart candies with icing. Place remaining 12 large cookies flat side up; spread each with 1/4 cup filling. Top with decorated cookies. Press ears halfway into filling in top of bear heads. Attach pink hearts to ears with icing.
Servings: 12. Cals.: 652. Protein: 5 g. Fat: 32 g. (18 g. saturated). Trans fat: 1 g. Chol.: 93 mg. Carbs.: 89 g. Sodium: 413 mg. Fiber: 3 g. Sugar: 58 g. Kitchen time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.