Whoopie Pies made with dark chocolate cookies and a soft minted filling.
There were inflamed protests from my family when I announced what my current recipe conquest-in-progress was.
Mint!?
No!
You’ll ruin them!
My family consists largely of strongly opinionated anti- mint/chocolate advocates. I understand, I used to be one of them, but since marrying someone who loves the combination (thanks for making me try my first Thin Mint ever, Zach) I’ve definitely warmed to the flavor.
Whoopie Pies (or “Gobs”, as I’ve always known them to be called) are a very traditional dessert around here (we live not far at all from Amish Country) with a very classic taste to them. To alter that taste was, evidently, blasphemous.
But I wanted to try something different. I’ve been eating traditional gobs for years, easily putting away at least a neat half-dozen at any family event, and I have a scarcely opened bottle of peppermint extract that’s been rapping on the inside of my cabinet door, nagging me to find another use for it.
I started with a recipe that’s been in the family for a long time, but I decided on some key alterations. The original recipe is fairly time-consuming and the original cookies have a very subtle, almost sour tang to them which would not have paired well with mint. I tried to make the recipe a bit less time-consuming, and I wanted the cookies to be distinctly chocolaty. Gobs are traditionally made with shortening and not butter, but I wanted something richer and darker, especially to complement the mint, and so butter was used here (though I did retain a portion of shortening in the filling).
The alterations were a success (my family was conveniently away at the beach when I made them, so I wasn’t able to procure their opinions) but the cookies turned out soft but stable enough to sandwich a substantial amount of mint filling, the entire dessert is sweet but not too sweet (nor too minty), a perfectly complementary play of mint and chocolate.
Unfortunately, evidently, I struggle greatly with properly capturing the pale green color that I used for the filling on camera, so these Gobs will probably be re-made and re-shot at some point in the near future (a great excuse to make them again, at least).
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 stick
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dark cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder would also work but the cookies will be lighter and have less of a dark chocolate taste)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
Mint Filling
- 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 stick
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (not "mint" extract which is a spearmint/peppermint combination)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4-5 drops green food coloring optional
- 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips I used a combination of mini and regular-sized
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 450F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In stand mixer (or in large bowl using hand mixer) beat together sugar and butter.
- Beat in egg until well-combined, and then stir in vanilla extract.
- In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Measure out milk and set aside.
- Starting with flour-mixture, gradually stir flour mixture and milk into batter, alternating (add about 1/5 of dry mix, as soon as ingredients are combined stir in approximately 1/5 of the milk, and repeat until all ingredients are combined). Batter will be fairly runny.
- Drop batter by 1-1 1/2" spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing at least 1 1/2" apart.
- Bake 5 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool completely on cookie sheets before filing.
Filling
- In stand mixer (or in large bowl using hand mixer), cream together butter and shortening Stir in peppermint extract.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.
- Stir in heavy cream and beat on high for 1 minute.
- Stir in food coloring until desired color is attained and color is evenly distributed.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pair together cooled cookies by similar size. Spread frosting over the bottom of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie (i used about 1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp filling per whoopie pie). Repeat until all cookies/filling are used and serve.
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Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These look fabulous- glad you took the risk and switched up the classic 🙂
Sam says
Thank you, Medha!
[email protected] Peas and Peonies says
Mint and chocolate is the bomb, I love the combo, so happy that Zach introduced you to it 🙂
Sam says
Thank you, Katalina! 🙂
Ana | Espresso My Kitchen says
I like the combo of mint and chocolate! I’m sure these taste amazing Sam! 🙂
Sam says
thank you, Ana!
Ana Fernandez says
This look SO good!! I’m not a big fan of minted anything but oh boy this recipe is giving me huge cravings
Ana | Carmela Pop
http://carmelapop.com
Sam says
Thank you, Ana!
Ben Maclain | Havocinthekitchen says
Wow! Your family members are prejudiced against mint – you should handle such an issue:) That’s great you’ve opted for this filling because mint and chocolate is the perfect marriage (in my book). Well done, Sam!
Sam says
They really are, though! Thank you, Ben!
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
These look SO GOOD!! Mint and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations ever. Your family be cray-cray. Thank you, Zach, for making her try a thin mint so the rest of us over here can read and drool over her mint+chocolate recipes :).
Sam says
Haha they really are, though. Thank you, Annie! 🙂
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
This is a great idea Sam! I love chocolate and mint together! These look amazing!
Sam says
Thank you, Shelby!!
Mir says
These look so good. I love how thick you made the filling! To be honest, I’m not on the mint-chocolate bandwagon, but every now and then I have it. I would totally eat these!
Sam says
Thanks, Mir!
Dani @ Dani California Cooks says
I’m a huge mint-chocolate fan. I think your tweaks are spot on!
Sam says
Thank you, Dani!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
These look fantastic, Sam! I am happy that you took the risk. Nothing can go wrong with chocolate mint. SO good.
Sam says
Thank you, Anu! 🙂
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
These look SO yummy! I am a big fan of mint and chocolate. I can understand why some people don’t like it because if it’s not done properly, mint can taste like toothpaste! But when it’s done right, it’s heavenly…and these look heavenly!! Reminds me of my sister’s chocolate brownies she used to make out of the box, which she’d then serve with mint chip ice cream. Lovely job, Sam!!
Sam says
You’re right! The first time I made mint whipped cream I definitely messed up and it ended up toothpaste-y.. into the trash it went! Thank you, Beeta! 🙂
Marsha @ Marsha's Baking Addiction says
Chocolate and mint – my favourite. These look so delicious!