Skinny & Sweet Whoopie Pies
Does guilt-free baking sound too good to be true? Today Marisa Churchill, former Top Chef contestant and author of the cookbook Sweet & Skinny, shows us how to whip up these kid-favorite Whoopie Pies.
Whoopie Pies
Makes 14 pies
Per pie: 170 calories, 6 grams fat
I was eight years old when I tasted my first whoopie pie at a roller skating rink. Staring back across the counter, alongside hot dogs and cotton candy, were little chocolate cakes filled with fluffy white cream looking nothing like any pie I had ever seen. As I took a bite my doubts quickly faded. Here, I've replaced most of the butter and shortening with buttermilk and nonfat yogurt to make little cakes that are every bit as moist and fluffy as the originals. Either natural or Dutch-processed processed cocoa works well in this recipe; more important is to use a good quality cocoa for the best flavor.
Nonstick pan spray
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa, natural or Dutch-processed
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons shortening
3 tablespoons liquid egg substitute
1 cup store-bought marshmallow creme
Preheat the oven to 350°F. with one oven rack in the bottom third and another in the top third of the oven. Coat two 17 x 12-inch rimmed baking sheets with pan spray (even if they are nonstick) or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and shortening on medium-high for 6 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg substitute and beat on medium 2 minutes longer.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 equal parts, alternating with the yogurt mixture in 2 equal parts (begin and end with the flour mixture), mixing on low for 1 minute and scraping the bowl with a spatula between additions.
Use a scoop or large spoon to make mounds on the prepared baking sheets, using 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter for each cake and spacing the mounds 2 inches apart. To make the smoothest cakes, coat a small ice cream scoop with pan spray or oil, or coat your hands and use them to shape the mounds into smooth domes.
Bake the cakes for 12 to 14 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out with just a few sticky crumbs stuck to it. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back.
Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool, about 1 hour.
To serve: Spoon a generous tablespoon of marshmallow topping onto one cake and press a second cake over the filling. Let the filled pies set for 10 minutes before serving.
Store any leftover pies, filled or unfilled, in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. If using store-bought topping, serve the pies within 4 hours of filling them.