I love food trends.  It’s always fun when the world decides that something is “the thing” and then that thing takes over, even if only for a short time.  Like cupcakes…now there are little shops dedicated to cupcakes, wedding cakes are made as cupcakes, and foodies are vying to create the most interesting and eccentric cupcake.  Well, move over cupcakes because Whoopie Pies are the new craze!  This is my first attempt at Whoopie Pies, and while they appear to be complicated, they are actually quite easy and fun to make.  The cookie dough is almost like a frosting itself, and bakes up into delightfully light and fluffy little morsels.  These were a huge hit at a recent Christmas party and I can’t wait to play around with all the possible flavor combinations!

Cookies:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk

Mint Filling:

Chocolate Ganache:

• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

For the Cookies:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes.   Add egg yolks and vanilla.

Mix in cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add flour in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition.

Drop dough by very rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are slightly puffed and spread but are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Mint Filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium sized bowl.

Add powdered sugar and mix well.

Blend in extract and green food coloring.  Allow frosting to sit at room temperature until ready for use.

Ganache:

Place chocolate in a small bowl.  Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate.

Let sit for two minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cool until lukewarm but spreadable, about 15 minutes.

To Assemble Cookies:

Spoon 1 teaspoon ganache onto bottom (flat side) of half of cookies. Place cookies, ganache side up, on foil lined baking sheet.

Spoon mint filling into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip (or spoon filling into resealable plastic bag, squeezing filling into 1 corner of bag, then cut off 1/4 inch of plastic bag corner to allow for piping). Starting at outer edge of bottom (flat side) of remaining cookies and working toward center, pipe mint filling in spiral. Place 1 mint-filled cookie, mint side down, atop each ganache-topped cookie, pressing slightly to adhere.  Chill for 20 minutes to set frosting.