Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Fuffly Marshmallow FIlling

Today is my birthday. Yesterday we went into London and met up with our sons and daughter in law (its also her birthday today) We went and had lunch in Wahaca Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden. We have been before and its lovely!

Today we went to church, I then made these lovely little cakes from my new recipe book that one of my sons gave me The Whoopie Pie Book by Claire Ptak of Violet, a baking company in East London which is near where my son lives and pops in to get a coffee etc.

They are really yummy and the filling is like the Fluff you can buy in jars....I know to all you Americans these are probably nothing new, (it says in the book that they originated in the US in the 1920's probably by the Amish) but over here in the UK Whoopie Pies are the new Cup Cakes.

Here is the recipe of the pies I made today

Chocolate Whoopie Pie

Makes about 9 large or 24 small

175g plain flour

100g cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

125g unsalted butter, softened

200g sugar

1 lge egg

225ml buttermilk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 c/gas 4

line 2 trays with baking paper

In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, bicarb & baking powder. stir in salt and set aside

In separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy

Add egg and mix well

Add buttermilk and vanilla and beat well

Slowly add dry ingredients in 2 batches, mixing until just incorporated.

Chill for 30 mins

Drop 18 large or 48 small scoops of batter, about 5 cm apart, onto baking trays.

Bake in middle of oven for 10-12 for large and 8-10 for small whoopies, until the cakes ar impression when touched with finger.

Remove and cool on a rack left with a slight.

Spread or pipe a generous :) scoop of Fluffy Marshmallow Filling onto the flat surface and top with another whoopie. I found if you put a nice round dollop on the base and dont spread it out, just put the top and press down gently..it then looks really nice!! (making my mouth water typing it out)

Fluffy Marshmallow Filling

3 egg white

150g sugar

2 tblsp golen syrup

pinch salt

1 tsp pure vailla extract

Weigh all ingredients into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water

Whisk continuously by hand until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is frothy and slightly opaque (about 10-15 mins)

Remove from heat and whip the mixture on high speed in mixer until it is white and thick and holds shape

Use straight away