Salivating Saturday

I am so not with it. Whoopie Pies have been on the scene for some time now-my only problem is that I am not a big marshmallow person and because of that, I have been avoiding the whole scene. Well, no longer! I decided to make the pies with a creamy icing filling instead of the traditional marshmallow They may not be the prettiest thing but man are they good.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (this will give it a more caramel aftertaste)
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (this gives it a very nice smooth fluffy texture)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix).
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean, 9-12 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.
Spread bottom of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently so filling oozes out slightly.  Let rest 15 minutes to set.

Like I said before, these little guys may not be the prettiest thing around but they are so tasty.  I thought the icing would be too sweet but the cake part is not very sweet at all so it really balances out. The dark sugar gives the pie a wonderful caramel aftertaste that goes great with coffee.  Enjoy!