Chocolate and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I don't know if whoopie pies are normally associated with summer but they definitely are for me.  I've heard they're a southern treat but Maine stakes a big claim to them as well.  And it was in Maine that I first fell for these goodies.

A few years ago we headed to coastal Maine for summer vacation and a big pillowy chocolate whoopie pie filled with gooey marshmallow cream was waiting for us in our rental cottage.  I'd heard of them but never tasted one.  But that first taste ignited a little fascination for them.  We've been to Maine a few times since then and I always look forward to the plentiful whoopie pies.  But I also knew I'd eventually need them more often and have to learn to make my own.

Last year I tried my hand at an awesome pumpkin version and now it was time for me to master the original chocolate cakes.  And I did include the marshmallow filling with the pumpkin but, where I see chocolate, peanut butter quickly follows. Just as I'd finished assembling this batch, a delivery man came to my door with packages.  After I signed I offered him one and as he was walking away I heard him say to himself 'oh, that's good.'  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 Egg
1 Cup sugar
1 Stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Cup milk
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
1/4 Cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
1/4 Cup peanut butter
Pinch of sea salt

Add the egg and sugar to a mixing bowl and cream together using a stand or hand mixer.  Beat in the butter and then the vanilla and milk.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Beat the dry ingredients into the wet.  Using a spoon or scoop, drop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  You can make the cakes any size you like but I used a 1 oz. scoop.  Leave a couple of inches between each cake since they will spread.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Make the filling by beating together the powdered sugar, milk, peanut butter and salt until smooth.  When the cakes are cooled, place a heaping teaspoon of filling onto half the cakes and top with the other half.  I used a 1 oz. scoop and got 24 cake halves which resulted in a dozen whoopie pies.