Chocolate Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

The history of the whoopie pie is surprisingly sordid, full of drama and general confusion. With an unusual name like whoopie pie, it seems destined to have an interesting story behind it. Whoopie pies are essentially two soft chocolate cookies sandwiched together with a sweet filling. Interestingly, whoopie pies were originally known as "gobs," a name I find both humorous and nondescript (Hey, do you want a gob?). I have no trouble understanding why the name was changed somewhere along the way.

Nevertheless, the true controversy begins with the origin. Depending on which source you choose to believe, a very different tale will be spun. Everybody wants a piece of the (whoopie) pie.

First, we'll hear out the food historian. In medieval Germany, long before electricity and marshmallow fluff, they were making cake-like pastries with filling over roaring fires—the ancestors to the whoopie pie. This pastry was passed down over generations, eventually reaching the United States and finding a home with the Pennsylvania Amish. The Amish women, in turn, would make these pies as a treat for their husbands and children. Legend has it, when they would spot these chocolate pies packed neatly in their lunch pails, they would let out a whooopie! with a shout.

Thus, the whoopie pie was born.

Maine also claims ownership over the pie, claiming it was invented within their state lines. Rumor has it that a woman working in a bakery in the 1920s ended up with extra batter after whipping up some cakes. Instead of tossing it out, she scooped spoonfuls of the batter onto a baking tray and popped them into the oven. When they were done, she stuck the small cakes together with leftover frosting and created the first ever whoopie pie. While there is little to no evidence to this tale (the proof was inconveniently burned in a bakery fire), it didn't sway Maine's steadfast belief, especially when they legally made it the state treat.

Boston also claims ties to the whoopie pie, but their evidence is even less substantial than Maine's or Pennsylvania's. Boston claimed the first whoopie pie recipe appeared in a cookbook created by one of their own bakeries in the 1930s. It didn't. Though the same bakery went out of business in the 1970s, the name of the bakery was painted long ago on the side of the building and still remains, though faded. If you ask the right people, they'll wistfully recall there was another sign painted below that read "Whoopee!" Pies—proof of whoopie pie's rightful heritage.

Whether you choose to believe the food historians in Pennsylvania, the governmental body of Maine, or the nostalgic patrons of long gone bakery in Boston, the real heritage of the whoopie pie doesn't really matter in the long run. The important part is that the whoopie pie is here to stay.

These Chocolate Marshmallow Whoopie Pies are soft, sweet, and filled with a hidden history. Two soft chocolate cake-like cookies are sandwiched together with a marshmallow creme. Since I don't believe in the one purpose whoopie pie pans, these can be easily made on a standard baking sheet. Whoopie pies are very similar to a soft Oreo cookie (and are equally at home with a glass of milk). Give these a try, if only to taste the hints of its sordid and surprisingly complicated past.

Click to read more ...

Hot Cocoa Cookies

I haven't given out a valentine since elementary school. This is a sad realization I made just moments ago, but it's the truth. When I was small, Valentine's Day was an event. My mother allowed me to pick out the valentines going out to my classmates and, for every year, I picked out exactly the same one. The front had a drawing of a featureless cartoon face. The back held a bunch of stickers featuring silly glasses, large noses, and big ears. It was, in essence, the Mr. Potato Head of valentine's.

I figured if I loved this valentine enough to hand them out year after year, my classmates wouldn't mind receiving exactly the same one.

The first Valentine's Day that I did have a sweetheart, we were separated by a state. By the time we were near each other once more, the holiday was long forgotten. Though I have the same sweetheart this year, distance separates us once more. Perhaps the third year is the charm?

Nevertheless, I've gotten very good at rocking the single gal's Valentine's Day. Romantic comedies, brownies, and copious amounts of carbohydrates are prominently featured. One year I made a stack of chocolate chip rainbow pancakes that stood at least a foot tall (or so it seemed). I managed to get through half before falling into the happiest of food comas in front of my favorite romance movie, Moulin Rouge. Another year I made a batch of chocolate rum truffles and gifted them to myself (because I'm worth it).

This year, I'm planning a low-key celebration. There will be a big bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, one (or three) of these hot cocoa cookies, and an order of Ryan Gosling's abs for dessert. My Netflix account has seemingly read my mind and devoted an entire section to him. Who says I can't be my own valentine?

Whether you have someone to share this holiday with or not, whether you choose to recognize this day as a holiday or whether it's just another Tuesday, there is one thing we can all agree on—every day is made better with a batch of cookies.

The intersection of hot cocoa and cookies is sweet and gooey. These hot cocoa cookies have a thick, chocolate cookie base with a layer of chocolate and warmed marshmallow. These cookies are sweet and taste best when fresh from the oven (but then again, what doesn't?). If they are room temperature, I like to toss them in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the chocolate layer and soften the marshmallow. Though they wouldn't be amiss with a mug of hot cocoa, I love them with a tall glass of cold milk.

Click to read more ...

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I want you to take in these words, close your eyes, and visualize their meaning. Feel the warmth from the oven as you peer at them baking. Breathe in their scent, imagine the taste, the texture, and let it linger softly on your tongue. Chocolate Chip Cookies will always be my ultimate cookie. Certainly sugar, shortbread, and oatmeal raisin all have a time and a place, but they have never carved out such a sweet place in my heart like dear chocolate chip.

And oh what a sweet place it is.

In my year and a half of blogging, I have never shared a chocolate chip cookie recipe with you. There was a reason for this. I've shared a variation here or there, but you don't mess around with the true classic. When I was going to share a chocolate chip cookie recipe with you, I didn't want it to be just any cookie. I wanted it to stand out, to be special, to be different.

A good chocolate chip cookie has a few requirements. A great chocolate chip cookie has many more. I know some of you prefer them thin and crispy, but today's recipe is all about the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe comes to me from a close family friend. It is her secret recipe, sought after by everyone blessed enough to try one of her cookies (me included). Fortunately, she has given me permission to share her secret with you. I won't reveal my source, however. The woman has an image to uphold (and a secret recipe to stay "secret").

This particular recipe has a slight twist. It is made with vegetable shortening instead of butter, which keeps the cookies wonderfully thick (cookies with a high butter content spread out very thin). The cookie also uses a couple tablespoons of mild molasses for one specific purpose. The molasses keeps the inside of the cookies soft for days (if they last that long, of course), without lending a distinct flavor. Five days on my kitchen counter and these cookies are as soft as the day I made them.

These soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you'll ever need. With just the right ratio of chocolate chips to cookie dough, the cookie maintains a very soft center while the edges stay lightly browned and crispy. These are lovely dipped into a glass of milk or eaten warm and gooey, straight out of the oven.

Click to read more ...