Green Velvet Shamrock Whoopie Pies

Let's talk about whoopie! Get your mind out of the gutter people...I'm talking about the kind you eat! It seems that all the craze these days in baking is Whoopie Pies! Hmmm...I even made a rhyme (completely unintentionally, I promise)! There is something nostalgic about these Amish goodies and well, they're good!

Typically the traditional whoopie pie is a chocolate cake-like cookie with a creamy marshmallow filling inside. Think of an Oreo but softer and better. Well, maybe...Oreos are pretty damn good! But since these babies have been around, people all over the country have taken the dessert to another level using a variety and combination of flavors. What once used to be a hidden treasure throughout New England and Pennsylvania is now a national phenomenon.

This recipe varies from the norm in that it mimics the flavors of a Red Velvet Cake. Except it's green. Really green. And they're shamrocks! Because....it's St. Patty's Day!!! The idea was actually inspired by Annie's version for Valentine's Day when she made these cute little hearts. The idea came to me to do something similar but with shamrocks to celebrate this festive green beer drinking day! Happy St. Patty's Day y'all!

Green Velvet Shamrock Whoopie Pies

Ingredients - Pie
2 cups Flour
2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Salt
8 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Whipping Cream, at room temperature
1 oz. bottle Green Food Coloring

Ingredients - Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2 1/2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Directions
Using this shamrock as a template, trace the figure onto drawing paper. Tear off 2 sheets of parchment paper to fit the length of baking sheets. Place the drawing under the parchment paper and trace the shamrock onto the parchment paper so they are evenly spaced. Set paper drawing side down on baking sheets and set aside. Note: I was able to get 9 shamrocks drawn out per sheet.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add in the egg and mix well. Add in the vanilla and mix well. Slowly begin blending in the flour mixture adding one-third in at a time. Alternate with half of the whipping cream and end with the last one-third of the flour mixture. Fold in the food coloring until completely incorporated into the batter.

Transfer the batter into a pastry big fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter into shamrock shapes, using the drawings on the other side as a guide.

Bake for 8 minutes and allow to cool about 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Continue baking off the rest of the batter.

While the pies are cooling, begin making the filling by creaming the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Slowly mix in the vanilla until combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, mixing in between, until completely incorporated.

Once the pies are cooled, begin matching them up in pairs by shape and size. Note: You may have to play with them a bit to get them to fit together properly. Flip one of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up.

Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Begin piping the filling onto the bottom piece of the pie, leaving some space around the edges. Place the top piece over the filling and gently press down to push the filling through the pie, making sure it reaches the edges.

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 12 Servings
Source: Inspired by Annie's Eats, recipe from my Great Aunt Linda