Bakewell Whoopie Pies (2024)

FAQs

Why are my whoopie pies not rising? ›

Let the batter rest (just let it sit in the bowl on your counter) for 30 minutes. Letting the batter rest allows the batter to rise and increases the volume of the whoopie pie cookies.

Whoopie pies can come out flat for a few reasons. The main reason is over mixing the cake batter. When you fold in the dry ingredients into the wet, make sure NOT to over mix. Just mix until the cocoa and flour just disappear.

These delightful treats have been enjoyed for generations, and their origin story is as rich and sweet as the dessert itself. The exact origins of the whoopie pie are shrouded in mystery, but it's believed that they were first created by Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch bakers in the early 1900s.

Gobs are inherently part of the fabric of Pennsylvania's culinary landscape. They are also part of New England's food history, but the dessert is known as a Whoopie Pie there.

Upon further investigation, however, it was discovered that the bakery's whoopie pies – either a cookie pie or cake – were made with human breast milk. While the white fatty liquid from an Amish princess psychologically trapped in the 1800s may be unappetizing, it is unlikely to pose a danger to consumers.

Why do cakes not rise? A: No or insufficient raising agent, mixture too stiff, mixture overbeaten or air knocked out, or insufficient whisking (whisked sponge). Too cool an oven.

Storage. Store the finished whoopie pies in an airtight container. I usually keep them in the fridge (see previous bullet), but many filling/cake combos would be fine at room temperature. I find that after 3 to 5 days they've usually dried out a bit, but they generally keep pretty well.

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

Classic Whoopie Pies feature cocoa cakes with a creamy marshmallow filling.

Additionally, it probably won't surprise you that the great state of Maine is also home to several of the top-ranked whoopie pies on planet earth. No, really, we are! Even though it's a treat with few ingredients, we do it better than almost anybody. But don't just take my word for it.

What state is the true home of the whoopie pie? ›

Maine's claim was that Labadie's Bakery invented them around 1925. The original bakery burned with all the records, so there was no way to trace the information. Undaunted, the good people of Maine established the whoopie pie as the official state treat in 2011.

Legend has it that Amish women baked off leftover cake batter into cookies that they then sandwiched together with frosting. The women would put the treats into farmer's lunchboxes and upon finding them the farmers would yell “Whoopie!!” thus lending the name we know it by today.

It's commonly believed that this tasty treat, also known as gobs, moon pies, and black-and-whites, developed out of an Amish recipe. The story goes that Amish cooks in colonial America would use leftover batter from making cakes to make these small handheld cake sandwiches.

In 2011, the Maine State Legislature designated blueberry pie, made with wild Maine Blueberries, as the official state dessert.

A Pittsburgh Icon

Over the years, the Burnt Almond Torte has become an emblem of Pittsburgh's culinary scene, ingrained in the city's food culture.

They are usually the result of either a filling that's too wet in your bake or an under-cooked or thin pastry base. These are easily remedied though using a few simple tips. Firstly, if you're making a fruit pie, reduce your filling down first.

Set the oven dial too low, and the pastry is likely to fall flat. Follow this tip: As a rule of thumb, a higher oven temperature (400°F is ideal) results in puff pastry with a higher rise. The higher temperature produces steam, which is the crucial component that makes the puff pastry, well, puff.

Choux pastries (i.e. cream puffs, eclairs, etc.) won't rise if the oven temperature is too low. For the pastries to rise properly, the temperature needs to be really high at first so that the steam builds up inside of the dough and causes them to rise and hollow out.

Any number of things can contribute to a slumping crust. Maybe your recipe uses an extra-high amount of shortening or butter, or you rolled the crust too vigorously, or you didn't let it rest and chill before baking. Perhaps you used the wrong size pan, or not enough filling.