Peppermint Mallow Whoopie Pie sandwiches chocolate "pies" with marshmallow and gives it some holiday glamor with crushed peppermint. A great holiday dessert or alternative to birthday cake for a celebration. Whoop whoop! Adapted from King Arthur Flour and David Leite.
Whoops! I did it again.
Whoopsie daisy!
Why make this recipe?
As I mentioned above, sometimes (many times) a recipe comes from what I have a taste for or it is inspired by something I tried elsewhere. But there are other times where I just think about something that I haven't made before to the point that I can't get it out of my head until I do just that- make it.
I've actually never made a whoopie pie so I did my research and adapted this recipe from a couple of sources. You might want to say I sandwiched a couple of recipes together and added my own twist.
The ingredients
Cookie base. The cookie base is adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Marshmallow filling. A scaled down version of the marshmallow frosting used on the the best coconut cake recipe. I adore marshmallow and chocolate together and this filling is like a homemade version of Fluff. Can you use Fluff? 100%.
Crushed peppermint candy. I bought crushed peppermint candy at the store and it was totally worth the price. It beats unwrapping candy canes and pounding them but I'll leave that up to you. Crushing peppermint would be a great stress reliever for sure.
Best type of cocoa for whoopie pies
This recipe uses Dutch processed cocoa powder which is different from traditional cocoa powder. Maybe you already know but if not Sally's Baking Addiction gives more insight into the ins-and-outs of when to use which cocoa powder.
Dutch or Traditional Cocoa Powder Usage
- Baking powder in the recipe? Use Dutch-processed cocoa.
- Baking soda? Use traditional unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Both baking powder and soda? Choose the above based on which has the higher ingredient content (example: if recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 ½ teaspoon of baking soda, you would use the traditional cocoa powder)
- When both are used and the amount is equivalent, use unsweetened cocoa powder.
The key to whoopie pies
Whoopie pie "bases" need to be more dough than batter so that the pies keep their shape while baking.
No shortening filling
Most traditional whoopie pie recipes have a filling that contains shortening.
This whoopie pie filling is a marshmallow filling made without shortening and isn't cooked.
The filling is softer which limits how early you can make these ahead. But they won't last...these are dessert cookies. Not cookies you'll freeze or store for the holidays.
But the flavor is AMAZING!
Trade-offs, my friend, trade-offs.
Make ahead notes
- Make the cookies and freeze them if you want. Thaw the day you're planning to serve them.
- Make the filling the day you are going to serve them. Earlier in the day is fine - you might have to whip it up a bit with a mixer.
- Fill whoopie pies right before serving.
Next, sit back and smile. Because you tried something different. And hey - the filling ideas are endless. Peanut butter, mocha, almond - whoopie!
📖 Recipe
Peppermint Mallow Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, large
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa
- 2 ⅓ cup flour, I use King Arthur
- 1 cup milk
- 1 bag Mint Twists (crushed peppermint), I got mine at World Market
For the Filling
- 1 egg, separated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 T cold water
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, espresso powder if using, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla until smooth. Clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the egg, beating and scraping the sides again.
- Add the cocoa and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Alternating with the milk, add the flour to the batter in ⅓ cup increments.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again with mixer to soften and incorporate everything fully.
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop or a ¼ cup measure, drop the dough 3 across the cookie sheet so that you'll have enough room for them to spread.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are set and firm to the touch. Remove them from the oven and after 2-3 minutes, use a spatula to remove them to a wire rack to completely cool.
For the Filling
- Separate the white from the yolk reserving the yolk for another use. Place in medium mixing bowl. Add the vanilla to the egg white.
- With an electric mixer, mix egg white and vanilla until frothy about 1 minute.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add the water, sugar and cream of tartar. Once the bubbles start to form on the edges, set a timer for 2-3 minutes. When then the timer is up, remove the pan from the stove and cool for about 10 minutes.
- With the mixer on medium high, slowly add the sugar water mixture in a steady stream to the egg whites and vanilla.
- Mix for approximately 5 minutes until stiff peaks are formed and the filling is glossy and thick.
Assemble the Whoopie Pies
- Using about 1-2 tablespoons of filling, top one side of a cookie and sandwich another one on top.
- Pour crushed peppermint pieces on a plate and lightly roll the cookies edge in the peppermint.
- Let set on a cookie sheet. Can also be refrigerated for no more than an hour or two.
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