Woopie - It's Woopie Pies

    We first came upon the "Whoopie Pie" on vacation in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.  It was at a little Amish place.  Both the Pennsylvania Dutch (who really weren't Dutch at all, but instead German.  German's call their country Deutschland.  That part of Pennsylvania had a large number of German immigrants.  To their English neighbours Deutschland, sounded like "Dutch Land".  This is where Pennsylvanian Dutch got it's name.) and New Englander's alike both lay claim to originating the the Woopie Pie.  Legend has it that the reason they are called Woopie Pies was because when children would get them in their lunch pails they would shout "Woopie".  Whatever the origin, where ever the name came from they are delicious!

    Since that first taste of Woopie Pie, I have searched for a good recipe.  I finally stumbled upon not only a really good recipe, but an easy recipe.  I found it, where else but my glorious Pinterest (did I mention that I am addicted to Pinterest).  I am including a link to the cleaver lady that I stole this great recipe from.  This recipe has now become a family favourite!

http://jennysteffens.blogspot.ca/2011/08/whoopie-pies-whoopie-pies-from-cake-mix.html

    I started with Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake boxed cake mix.  I added three eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and 1/2 cup of water... easy!  I blended it up the same way I normally would for a cake mix.  When it was all mixed I dropped batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I used my small Pampered Chef scoop to ensure that the batter was all uniform, or as uniform as I could get it.

    I baked them in a 400 degree oven that I had preheated for about 45 minutes.  They bake for just 7 minutes.  I had three pans going, one to cool, one for just out of the oven and one with batter waiting to into the oven.  

    I discovered the hard way that the woopie pies are sticky little devils.  After my first nightmare batch that all stuck to each other, I put about 1/4 of icing sugar onto a plate.  By letting them sit face down in the icing sugar, it not only made them look pretty, it stopped them from sticking.

    My first batch of woopie pies, I followed the directions from the blog and used butter cream icing.  I love butter cream icing, but it was so thick.  I decided to experiment, and that experimentation led to a delicious experiment, creamy icing.

    I whipped a package of powdered dessert topping according to the package directions.  I just used no name brand and it cost $3.50 for a box that contained four envelops of topping.   When the dessert topping was mixed, I put it to the side.  I then mixed 1/4 cup of vegetable shorting and 1/4 cup of room temperature butter together.  I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of cream (milk will also do the trick).  Last but not least, two cups of icing sugar.  When the butter cream icing is ready, I carefully mix in the dessert topping.  The result is creamy goodness that I easily spread onto the cookie/ cupcake top using an icing knife.

    With the creamy icing the woopie pies taste a little like Jos Louis, oh so tasty.  They are a big hit at my house, and the kids beg for them in their lunches.  My guys also say "woopie" when they see them in their lunches.
    The one cake mix made all of the above woopie pies.  That is 28 pies in total!