Making Whoopie....(Pies)

While browsing through Sur La Table, I stumbled upon their advertising of the newest taste everyone HAS to try. I studied it a bit, thought the book was cute, looked simple and tasty enough so I endulged and decided I would make "Whoopie....pies". Here's all the basic stuff you need -

Getting ready to start mixing up - Looking good, now adding the "wet" stuff -
"Whoopie" - looking SO good -
I may - or may not - have reverted back to bad habits and licked the beaters clean (!)

Sorry for renching your neck, but here's a shot of me placing the batter in the nifty, expensive, special "whoopie pie" molds -

I also experimented without using the nifty, expensive, special "whoopie pie" mold by just dropping the batter onto parchment paper -

Just out of the oven baked cakes. Now for the true test, which one was made in the nifty, expensive, special "whoopie pie" mold - can't tell? Me either, FIGURES! Note to self: "Did NOT need to buy the nifty, expensive, special "whoopie pie" mold -

Next, I made vanilla cakes (no demo pictures, just picture the above pictures white instead of chocolate). Now, on to the fillings. After reading the instructions for the traditional marshmellow filling, I actually lost sleep over the delima I was facing whether to make it or not. You see, the traditional marshmellow filling calls for marshmellow creme (ok), confectioners sugar (ok), vanilla (ok) and vegetable shortening (UGH - hugh, not ok), not just a tablespoon or so - but 1-1/2 cups of it. The instructions are very specific about "NO SUBSTITUTES" for the vegetable shortening - oh what should I do? Could I bear to make this filling? Should I make this filling? Would I eat this filling - ah, 1-1/2 cups of vegetable shortening? In an effort to make "traditional whoopie pies" I gave in and made it. Then I tasted it.....all I could taste and feel in my mouth was "vegetable shortening", 1-1/2 cups of it. I couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't subject myself, or my family, to it - so in the sink it went, with the rest of the dirty dishes -

Knowing I knew better about the "traditional marshmellow filling" I quickly substituted it for a peanut butter one and a cream cheese one - much - much better. Satisified I'd made the right choice, I quickly finished up my "whoopie pies" and waited for "sampler's" to come and try them

Curt gave them a "thumbs-up"

So did Berlynn -

Ez really liked them -

So did all the Olson girls -

All in all, the time spent in making "whoopie.....pies" was worth it and since there are LOTS and LOTS of different types of cakes and fillings to make, I'll be making them again - probably WITHOUT the nifty, expensive, special "whoopie pie" mold!