The December Daring Bakers’ Challenge had us all cheering – the lovely and talented Bourbonnatrix of Bourbonnatrix Bakes was our hostess and challenged us to make fun, delicious and creative whoopie pies! Delicious little cake-like cookies sandwiching luscious filling in any flavors we chose… What else is there to say but “Whoopie!”
I’ve never made Whoopie Pies before. I’m not sure they’re a big thing in Utah. At least they weren’t at my house growing up. However, people often searched my site looking for a Whoopie Pie recipe, so baking them has been on my to do list. I was excited when Whoopie Pies was the Daring Bakers December challenge so it finally gave me the nudge I needed to give them a try.
Whoopie pies are super easy to make. The dough comes together quickly. Then you just scoop the dough on to cookie sheets; bake them, let them cool and fill them with a marshmallow creme filling. I decided to use an easy to make, fat free, 7 minute icing for my filling instead of the marshmallow creme filling in the original recipe.
My plan was to make traditional chocolate whoopie pies, but when I opened the fridge, I had to pick up the egg nog to move it out of the way to get the milk. That’s when I decided egg nog would make a great addition to the whoopie pie recipe. The egg nog spiced up the whoopie pies just a little bit and gave them a holiday flair, but if you’re not an egg nog fan just use milk instead.
Chocolate Egg Nog Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa sifted
- 2 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup egg nog
7 Minute Icing
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 egg white
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or silpat liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until creamy. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Add the cocoa, mix to combine.
- Add the flour to the batter alternately with the egg nog, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again briefly.
- Drop the dough by the ¼-cupful (I used a #16 ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between the cakes; they'll spread.
- Bake the cakes in a preheated moderate oven for 15 to 16 minutes, until they're set and starting to firm up. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 7 minute Icing
- In the top of a double boiler, combine the sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn't touch the water).
- Beating at high speed, cook the frosting for about 7 minutes, or until it's stiff and glossy. Remove it from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat an additional 2 minutes.
Krystle(Baking Beauty)
i always wondered how to get the icing in whoopie pies to look like that. Really appreciate the pictures!
Dina
they look yummy!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
What an excellent way to use up that egg nog! And…just wanted to tell you that your blog came up during conversation at Christmas. My sister found your site and said how much she liked your recipes and voice. Happy New Year to you, Barbara!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Brenda – what a sweet comment! That really does start my new year out on the right note.
Nicole Lindstrom | Simply Happenstance
Love these whoopie pies Barbara. Trying to be oh so good, but this recipe looks like a must make. Yum!
jane maynard
what a GREAT idea!
Mercedes
Oh wow, your whoopie pies are so tall and thick! Perfection!
bourbonnatrix
Love your filling! 7 minute frosting must make these whoopies much lighter! Great idea! Thanks for participating in this month’s challenge!
Bekkah @ OhMySweetiePie
These look great! I love the eggnog addition – excellent idea!
Korena
I think these are the most perfect whoopie pies I’ve ever seen! Great idea to use eggnog in the batter.
PS – Your almond toffee bars were part of the inspiration for some extremely delicious almond-roca shortbread bars I made recently, so thanks for that recipe!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
What a great flavour mum! So Christmassy 😀 I didn’t have time to do DB this month 🙁 Maybe next month! xxx
Rosa
Fabulous and very tempting!
Cheers,
Rosa
Traci
I love that you did a 7 minute frosting instead of the traditional cream cheese. What a delicious recipe, can’t wait to try!
Dalila G.
WTG Barbara!
Your Whoopie”s look very good! Not bad for a first time out.
Will you keep making these sweet little beauties?
I plan on keeping your recipe, we like Whoopie Pies in this house.
Have a nice day!
Nutmeg Nanny
Wonderful whoopie pies 🙂 I ‘d love to get a taste!
Melissa B
You recipe sounds delicious for the Holidays! =)
I have never made Whoopie Pies, they look yummy!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I love inspiration like that and I’m sure I’d love them. The whoopie pie is one of the state desserts of Maine and my mother (and everyone else’s mother) made them often. Never had them with eggnog though! Brilliant idea for the holidays.
Carol
A Whoopie Pie Challege? I bet my son In law Ray would sign up to try one of each. That’s his FAVORITE cookie….in fact I just made mini ones for the Christmas cookie tray I brought up there on Wednesday. I grew up with my Mom making these-they’re pretty popular in New England.
So what did you think? Are you a fan?
Yours look delicious Barbara—and I have eggnog and plenty of all the other ingredients…….uh oh…….I’m gonna avoid the scale for at least 3 months after the holidays……sigh…………
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
omg awesome!
Laura @Lauras Baking Talent
These look delicious. What a fun challenge. I love how you used eggnog. Great way to use up any leftovers in the fridge from Christmas!
What's for dessert?
They look perfect and so delicious. Great job on the challenge! Happy holidays!