Ever since I got back from the beach, I've had this insatiable desire
to bake, which is weird for the girl with no real sweet tooth. It
could be a nesting thing - we're moved in now. More significantly, the
Kitchenaid has moved in - that was a big step. While it's taking up
more space on the countertops than I'd like to admit,
it's this sexy
orange appliance that's the symbol of what we're doing moving into the
loft. Making something - together.
In the midst of getting ready to head to San Francisco for Blog Her Food '09 (so excited about this, btw!), I wanted to bake something sweet to leave behind in the fridge. I've been holding onto this recipe (virtually, of course) that I came across on a blog called Sweet Charity Pie. Of all the type of sweets I like, its citrusy ones. These whoopie pies just called my name. They are super easy to make - the batter for the cakey cookie alone would be delicious by itself. Add a more-gooey-than-fluffy lemon filling and it's just over the top - you could also make your own "fluffier" filling for a more traditional whoopie pie result.
Lemon Whoopie Pies
adapted from the Bit Fat Cookie book via Joy the Baker
yields 6-8 giant whoopie pies
For the cookies:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated (use a microplane rasp if you have one)
1 egg
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk.
For the filling:
6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 c. (6 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon zest, finely grated
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 3/4 c. confectioner's sugar
To make the cookies:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and then butter the paper (I forgot to do this but had no problems getting my cookies off the parchment).
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing. Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. The batter may look curdled, and that's okay. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture just until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth again.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. I used a scoop for my dough- if you're using a professional portioning scoop, it's a size 20 scoop. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10- 12 minutes- a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie should come out clean, and the tops will be firm but not brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling:
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar (in batches if necessary) and mix until smooth. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
To assemble:
Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Scoop about 3 T. of filling onto each (once again, I used my scoop). If your filling is really firm, spread it to within a 1/4" of the edge of the cookies. Gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies onto the filling until it reaches the edges.
Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold. The wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
