Whoopie Pies

Ever since I read an article on whoopie pies in the New York Times, I've been dying to try to make some myself and decided on this recipe. I've never had whoopie pies nor seen them before. So I really have no idea if the whoopie pies are comparable to the authentic ones. However, they're pretty good; the filling was fluffy and holds up well and the texture of the cake or cookie was actually somewhere between a cake and a cookie. Drier than a cake but softer than a cookie.

This recipe yields 14 pies.

Ingredients:

For cake/cookie
1/4 cup Crisco
2 cups flour
1 cups milk
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa
1 cup sugar
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

For filling
1/2 cup margarine or butter (room temp is best)
1/2 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup warm whole milk

1) Mix all ingredients for the cake/cookie.
2) Drop by the small tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3) Bake for 8-10 minutes at 190C. Upon extraction from the oven, remove from pan immediately to wire rack to cool.
4) Put all filling ingredients in a bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
5) As soon as the whoopie cookies are cool, match each whoopie with its closest brother in size. Spread some filling on the flat side of one, then place the second on top. Repeat.

Pies will keep well sealed with plastic wrap.