Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Whoopie Pies

Is there anything that makes you go Whoopie! more than chocolate cake? Nope, atleast not for me! Ok, I lied, maybe a vacation would do me some good, but that's not in the cards right now, so chocolate cake it is. But this is no ordinary chocolate cake. This is a Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Whoopie Pie. I say chocolate because this cake, has a bit more chocolate flavor than most other red velvet cakes. Red velvet is essentially a butter/vanilla cake with a bit of cocoa powder added to it. I took it a bit and added more cocoa powder. So this is essentially a dark red velvet cake sandwiching a cookies and cream speckled marshmallow cream cheese filling. Uh, yes. 

So I have a confession about this recipe. I started this thinking that I would pipe these whoopie pies into cute heart shapes and make them Valentine sandwich cookies. Well... somethings just don't go as planned and although they didn't hold their heart shapes, the traditionally scooped cookie cakes worked out better, so that's just what they'll be. Hearts or no hearts, these whoopie pies are just yum!

They looked so promising piped...

Whomp...Whomp...

The batter starts by creaming the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer. Beat in the baking soda, powder and salt. Then comes the flavor components. To the butter batter add the vanilla, cocoa powder, red food coloring and apple cider vinegar. Beat this together until you get a beautiful cohesive read batter. Then take the bowl out of the stand mixer and fold in the flour. Make sure you get this nice and mixed with no dry flour spots.

Scoop the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. I used a medium sized cookie scoop to do this. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cakes spring back after being pressed lightly. Allow to cool on the sheet pans and make the filling. 

Beat together the butter, marshmallow fluff and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla and then slowing add I the powdered sugar and mix till combined. Fold in the crushed cookie pieces. 

Once cooled, flip half the cakes over and scoop the filling onto the flipped side of the cookie and sandwich with the other side, pressing lightly to adhere together. 

These whoopie pies are sweet, decadent with a great hint of cocoa. Perfect for valentines day... or any day... who are we kidding!? And don't forget to follow me on instagram or twitter for more fun recipes!

Red Velvet Cookies and Cream Whoopie Pies 

Yields approx 1 dozen pies

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp red food coloring
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 2 cups all purpose flour

Filling

• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow fluff
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 6 Chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Then add baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla. Then add cocoa, food coloring and vinegar.
4. On low, add in the milk and mix till combined.
5. Take the bowl out of the mixer and fold in the flour until completely combined.
6. using a medium sized cookie scoop. Drop mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Tops of the cakes should spring back when lightly pressed. Cool on the baking sheet for a minute then move to a wire rack.
8. While cooling, make the filling. by beating the ingredients together with a mixer or vigorously by hand. 
9. Dollop 2 tbsp of filling on one side of the cooled cake and sandwich with another, pressing lightly to adhere.