Chocolate whoopie pies

I chose to make the marshmallow fluff filling for a reason. I simply cannot imagine these cookies with any other filling. Of course, chocolate whoopie pies can be filled with another light cream, Nutella or even plum preserves, but they absolutely must be tried at least once with a marshmallow fluff filling!

Whoopie pies are delicate, melt-in-the-mouth treats, although they are more like small cakes than traditional biscuits. It is no coincidence that they are called pies. Their preparation is very similar to making cupcake batter – they are essentially a simple creamed cake mixture. They are well worth baking to discover whether they become a new favourite!

Makes approximately 15–17 assembled whoopie pies.

Ingredients for chocolate whoopie pies:

• 120 g butter
• 170 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 170 g plain flour
• 60 g cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 60 ml milk (¼ cup)

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. The mixture may curdle at this stage, but this will not affect the finished bake. Add the sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Pour in the milk and fold together using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Alternatively, you can use a special whoopie pie tin with shallow moulds (greased with butter and lightly dusted with flour beforehand). Transfer the batter to a piping bag with the tip cut off (a piping nozzle is not necessary) and pipe portions roughly equal to 1 tablespoon of batter onto the tray. The batter can also be spooned directly onto the tray. Leave plenty of space between each cake, as they will spread and rise during baking.

Bake the chocolate whoopie pies at 175°C for approximately 12–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Fot the filling:

• marshmallow fluff

Spread approximately 1 teaspoon of marshmallow fluff onto the flat side of one cake and sandwich together with another. Avoid overfilling, as the cakes may slide apart.

Enjoy!