Red Velvet Whoopie Pies…#WeCare

by Liz Berg on November 8, 2012

Once again, the food blogging community is joining together to support those affected by  tragedy. Some of my dear blogger friends and I wanted to do our part in encouraging support for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Consider skipping a couple Starbucks runs this week and, instead, use those funds to contribute $10 to the Red Cross…every dollar counts.  And if you’re a blogger and would like spread the word with us, I’d be thrilled. Simply include a link to the Red Cross or to another charitable organization raising money for the hurricane victims in your blog post. Feel free to add the badge below to your post or sidebar. 

I still have friends without power as the temps plummet below freezing at night, friends digging sand out of their house on the New Jersey shore, friends unable to get to work due to gas shortages and lines…but thankfully, all these folks have wonderful support and resources. That isn’t the case with everyone. There is still a great need due to the horrific devastation left by this storm…please help.

The American Red Cross is providing support including  food and blood, supplies, shelter, and clothes to Hurricane Sandy victims. You can donate directly to the Red Cross or you can also text the word Redcross to 90999 to make a $10 donation. You will then need to reply yes to confirm. It’s as simple as that. The $10 will be charged to your wireless phone bill.

Also, if you go to any register at Macy’s and donate $1.00, they will match it in hopes of raising $1,000,000! Isn’t that amazing????

My daughter  Katie, saw these Whoopie Pies on Good Morning America…Emeril was promoting his new sandwich book. I love that my kids are keeping their eyes peeled for recipes for me to try (self serving as that may be!). As it just happened, I had a group of friends promoting Kicked Up Sandwiches, and I won my very own copy from Amanda of MarocMama. I was set! Besides needing to dig out my piping supplies (and the dread that comes with utilizing them), these were simple to make. Katie had the first sample and proclaimed them winners. But she was nothing short of incredulous when she found out we were taking these to a tailgate and her brother and his friends would have access to her prized treats!!! He was kind enough not to take ALL the leftovers back to his dorm…so no family feud ensued!

Tip of the Day: To make consistent sized whoopie pies, I traced the outline of a 2 1/2 inch diameter cookie cutter on one side of the parchment paper, then repeated with approximately 2 inches between each circle.  I flipped over the paper and used the markings as a guide for piping the batter.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies…recipe from Emeril Lagasse

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup  sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk (you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 scant cup of milk)

  • Filling:
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
    • Preheat the oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment (I used these…see tip of the day below), Silpats or spray pans well with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    Using a mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the red food coloring and the vanilla, and beat until well blended.  Alternately add the buttermilk and the flour mixture, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Mix until  just combined.
    Pipe 2 1/2-inch-diameter cookies onto the prepared pans, placing them 2 inches apart. If you don’t own piping equipment, you can use a gallon Zip-loc bag with a corner cut off. Smooth the top of each cookie with a damp finger. Bake for approximately 6 minutes, or till they are puffy and centers appear baked. Cool for about a minute on the baking sheets, and then remove to a cooling rack.
    To make the filling: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, marshmallow creme, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla mix well. 
    To make the whoopie pies, spread about a tablespoon of the filling over half of the cookies, on the flat side. Top with another cookie of approximately the same size.
    Makes 10-12 depending on size.
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