Hostess cupcake-like Whoopie pies

Hostess cupcake whoopie pies

Dear friends, I was a baking fiend today. I made a small yellow cake with chocolate frosting for my mother in law. Then, I made XL cupcakes with various frostings, and then, I made these hostess cupcake-like whoopie pies. And I used cake mixes for all of them! But the frosting, fillings and squiggles are all homemade. Rob wanted hostess cupcakes, but those are such a disaster for me, who can not decorate at all, I went whoopie pie instead. Still has the fluff filling, chocolate frosting and squiggle. I would say with less mess, but not really. I ended up with chocolate cake batter on the elbow of my Josh Allen Bills hoodie. Now, I am sitting on the deck with Gracie and Rob, still with chocolate on my elbow. Listening to the birds.. And I swear one sounds like he is singing “Derek Jeter”

A reminder to take your butter put an hour or so for the fluff filling and squiggle so it softens up. Also preheat your oven for 20 minutes for baking so you get the right temp.

  • Whoopie pie ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup oil

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. combine ingredients and mix well. Dough is thick. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Scoop out either 1 1/2 tbs of dough or 3 tbs (I did both sizes). Stagger on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes for smaller cookies, 7 to 9 for larger ones. Cool completely.

  • Filling ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

Directions – combine fluff and butter. Blend in powdered sugar. Add vanilla. If mixture is too thick, add a little milk.

  • Chocolate frosting ingredients
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 tbs butter, melted
  • 2 -3 cups powdered sugar
  • Milk

Directions – combine butter and cocoa. Add powdered sugar. Blend in enough milk to get the consistency you want.

  • Squiggle ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Milk

Directions – combine butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla, then enough milk to get the consistency you want for your squiggle! Scoop into a sandwich baggie and cut out a small corner. Now put the whole thing together

Lay cookie flatside up
Cover with filling
Top with another cookie, flatside down
Frost
Add your squiggle, or in my case, a blob!

Store in covered container.

Remember to be kind because everyone is battling through something. Also know that you matter and you are loved.

Big wheels/Ding Dongs/Ring Dings

Another hostess challenge answered!

These treats were a request from my husband, Rob. They have different names – big wheels/Ding dongs/Ring dings, but seem to be basically the same thing, made by Hostess. He asked if I could make “Big Wheels.” Honestly, I never heard of them. The only Big Wheels I knew of where the bike we all had as little kids! Anyways, I learned Big Wheels by Hostess, were a bigger version of Ding Dongs, which seem to be remarkably like ring dings. Just an individual chocolate cake, filled with a fluff filling and covered In melted chocolate. In my hometown, I remember Stroehmanns seemed to be the king in stores, and they had a lot of the same type of treats as Hostess. My favorites were the Sno balls, especially the pink ones. Anyways, here is the recipe for Big Wheels. I made them with a homemade chocolate cake recipe, but next time I would use a cake mix because it would be easier and faster..and frankly, cake is cake. They are a little messy in the pictures, but my ESPN Radio work family will like them on Monday. (And I didn’t waste the leftover cake after the cutouts! I smooshed it all together and formed whoopie pies! )

  • Ingredients
  • 1 chocolate cake mix, baked in round pans and cooled completely
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream/milk

Directions – invert cooled cakes onto parchment paper. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles. In a bowl, mix butter, fluff and powdered sugar. Add enough heavy cream or milk to get thr consistency you want.

Cut out a cone of each individual cake and save it.

Fill the hole with a spoon of filling

Replace the cone of cake over the hole,and gently press in.

Cover with melted chocolate and store in covered container.

As you can see, I struggle decorating with melted chocolate

Football Friday # 18 – chocolate chip football sandwiches

Go Bills!

Ahead of the Bills first home playoff game in 25 years, I have made 2 treats. This one is a chocolate chip cutout, in football form, made into cookie sandwiches. I used mini chips because cookie cutters won’t go through regular size chocolate chips. Use whatever flavor filling you wish. Go Bills! Also, I love Josh Allen. I am excitedly nervous about the game on Saturday. I know this week has been awful and I take refuge in my love of sports and baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Ingredients – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cream buttee, Crisco, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Add yolk then flour. Stir in chips. Roll to desired thicknessand cut. Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely. Spread filling between 2 cookies. Store in covered container.

Josh Allen!

Gingerbread men sandwiches

Now, this is a Christmas cookie!

These are just wonderful. They smell amazing and taste amazing! I can not decorate, so I made them into sandwich cookies. The best thing about the gingerbread cookie cutter – you can turn them into reindeer, just flip ’em upside down and perhaps place a red hot for a Rudolph nose.

Gingerbread reindeer
  • Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 2-3 tbs water
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions – cream butter and sugar. Add egg, molasses and water, stire in dry ingredients. Chill a few hours or overnight. Remove from,fridge an hour or two before baking to soften up dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes., on a floured surface, roll to desired thickness and cut. On a cookie sheet lined with nonstick baking liners, stagger cookies. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake 8 minutes. Cool completely.

  • Quick frosting filling – combine 2 melted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and enough milk to get the desired consistency. Spread between two cookies. Store in covered container.
This cookie will be Rob’s