Lake Champlain Double Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Our take on this classic New England treat doubles down on chocolate with a silky, mousse-like chocolate filling. Choose your favorite LCC chocolate to melt into the buttercream — dark, milk, or even something a little spicy.
Servings: 2 Dozen
Equipment
- Oven
- Parchment Paper
- Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Small Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Ice Cream Scoop
- Stand Mixer
- Stovetop
- Small Pot
- Piping Bag
- Refrigerator
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Canola Oil
- 3/4 Cup Lake Champlain Chocolates® 100% Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 Cup Hot Coffee
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Buttermilk (room temperature)
Filling
- 5 Large Egg Whites
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Cups Unsalted Butter (cut into 1/2 inch cubes, cool but not cold)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 6 oz Lake Champlain Chocolates® 57% Dark Chocolate Bar (melted in microwave or double boiler)
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate large bowl, stir together the brown sugar and oil until combined.
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the 3/4 Cup Lake Champlain Chocolates® 100% Unsweetened Cocoa Powder and hot coffee until the powder is completely dissolved. Add this to the brown sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add the egg, 1 tsp Vanilla Extractand buttermilk to the mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. You can also use a tablespoon and your fingers.
- Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the trays, and bake until the cookies bounce back in the center when touched, or a toothpick comes out clean, about 3 more minutes. Let the cookies cool completely while you make the filling.
Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or other large bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar together.
- Rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water but do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat the mixture while whisking, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the color is milky white, about 2-3 minutes or to 140 degrees.
- Beat the egg mixture with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the paddle attachment. Add the butter in 3 or 4 additions, beating on medium-high speed as you go until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If the buttercream looks like it is breaking, don’t worry, it will eventually come together.
- Add the salt, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, and melted 6 oz Lake Champlain Chocolates® 57% Dark Chocolate Bar and beat briefly to combine.
Assembly
- Use an ice cream scoop, tablespoon, or piping bag to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of half of the cookies.
- Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie.
- Repeat until all the cookies are used. Extra filling can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
Notes
For something less rich, try the Lake Champlain Chocolates® 38% Milk Chocolate Bar.
These will keep well in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container, or store extras in the freezer between parchment paper for the best-ever ice cream sandwich substitute.