Recipe of the Day: Peppermint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Jessie Sheehan is a baker whose a huge hit on TikTok. Her videos have more than 2 million views. 

She's teaching us how to bake Peppermint Chocolate Whoopie Pies.

Peppermint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

• For the pies
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• A rounded ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
• For the peppermint filling
• 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted if lumpy
• ½ to ¾ cup of heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 to 5 crushed candy canes for decorating

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, butter, and sugar, and mix on medium-low speed until slightly fluffy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed. Add the yolks and vanilla and mix again on medium low until just incorporated.
4. Meanwhile, place the cocoa and espresso powders in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Whisk until combined and add this chocolate mixture to the stand mixer bowl and mix on medium low to combine, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
5. Add the dry mixture in three additions to the stand mixer bowl, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, and ending with the dry. Take the bowl off the mixer when there is still unincorporated flour in the dough and finish mixing by hand with a rubber spatula. Let the dough rest on the counter, lightly covered with saran wrap, for 30 minutes.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and drop 1½ tablespoons of batter about 1-inch apart on the sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time until the cookies are dry to the touch and bounce back when lightly pressed. Repeat with the remaining batter. Let cool completely before filling with the below peppermint buttercream. I used the same 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to fill the pies, as i did to scoop the cookies.
7. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low to medium-low until smooth, about 3 minutes. Begin adding the sugar a cup at a time, keeping the mixer at the same low speed and alternating with the cream.
8. Continue slowly mixing in this fashion (adding sugar and cream, scraping with a spatula periodically, and taking time to let the mixer run in between additions), until the all of the sugar and cream has been incorporated. Add the extract and salt and mix again. Continue mixing on medium-low for at least 5 to 10 minutes, if not longer. The frosting will be quite light, creamy, and fluffy when it is done. Store the frosting tightly covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours or refrigerate it for up to one month. Bring the frosting to room temperature prior to using.
9. Place the crushed candy canes in a shallow bowl (you can crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Roll the edges of the just filled pies in the candy.
10. Serve whoopies immediately, or freeze on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap, for up to three weeks. Bring to room temp before serving.

Notes

The buttercream recipe makes A LOT — I ended up making several batches of pies in order to use it all up. Feel free to halve the recipe.

For more recipes from Jessie, visit jessiesheehanbakes.com.