Actually, Whoopie Pies have been here since the early 20th century, and were invented by the Amish. (For those needing a refresher, the Amish belong to a group of Christian church fellowships that adopt very plain clothing, shun modern conveniences like cars, televisions and telephones, and live simply.)
Three states claim ownership to the cookie/cake cream-filled treat (New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Maine). Maine has gone as far as to claim it their official state treat.
Now they're becoming the latest darling of the dessert world. In fact, I'm serving them at a dinner party tomorrow night.
If you're having trouble finding one in your hood, here are a few recipes to try.
The first is from scratch, for the purists: Whoopie Pies from Epicurious.com
The second uses a cake mix box, so takes the least amount of time: Whoopie Pies from Allrecipes.com
The third has a celebrity chef connection, which could be a good or a bad thing: Whoopie Pies from TheFoodNetwork.com
Apparently, the Amish women would make them for their farmer husbands' lunch pails, and when they uncovered them, they'd yell, "Whoopie!"
I get it. Every time I unwrap one, that's what I want to yell.
Sarah Western Balzer
more stories from Sarah Western Balzer
Sarah Western Balzer is the editor of HITC Life. She grew up in Tampa, Florida, and lived in Washington, DC and New York before moving to London, where she lived for seven years. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons. Her background is in the music industry, lifestyle relocation, and journalism. If you'd like to contribute to HITC Life, and work in banking or a field related to finance, please drop her a line (sarah.balzer@hereisthecity.com).
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