Whoopie Pies - Valentine's Day Edition

Well 2 things are certain, the Yankee's that are reading this will know what I'm talking about and the Hoosier's will have no clue! Well, most won't!  You see, whoopie pies are non existent here in the Midwest. Every time I talk about them, people ask me what I am referring to. I explain, they say yummy! Then I have to make them some. If you have never had a whoopie pie, you must make them now! Yummy! Yummy! That's all I have to say!  While there are many varieties, this is the standard version.

Anyways, Hubby will be home tomorrow! Yay!  Super excited about that! We are having Sunday dinner at my house.  Baked Ziti  = Yummy!  Hubby likes whoopie pies and I just so happen to have a a cute little heart shaped pan.  Dessert for Sunday dinner solved!

Before I give you the recipe, please make sure you have a good  mixer as mine is, well was, a hunk of junk and mid-way through mixing the filling it caught on fire. Yes, CAUGHT ON FIRE! I had a minor heart attack and my filling was ruined!  Thankfully Hubby has a super cool grandma who lives not that far from me and was on her way to church! She brought me her hand mixer so I could finish the job!

Okay so back to the task at hand...the recipe...

Whoopie Pies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed. When combined, add buttermilk and continue to mix on low speed until all ingredients mixed together.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray pan with non-stick spray. Bake for 10-12  minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. To assemble pies spread filling on one cake and sandwich with another cake. I then rolled in Valentine non-perils.

Filling

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat together butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.