Whoopie Pie's {Daring Baker's Dec challenge}

Another Daring Baker's challenge which I was truly excited to be part of as these whoopie pie's have been in my 'to-bake' list for quite some time :) These little treats are somewhere between a slice of cake and a bite off cookie... Pretty easy to whip and bake too! I had various ideas on the flavors I could mix and pour but I ended up baking a batch of safe but absolutely gorgeous Red Velvet whoopies with classic cream cheese filling. 
As you can see, there is not much red colour on these whoopie's, reason being, me not using much red food colouring and also tipping a tad bit more of cocoa powder :) They look more of a chocolate whoopie, I agree. I had also given a copper tinge to my cream cheese filling purely on an aesthetic point of view! 
Whatsoever Nikhil loved these and had them finished in no time :D Whoopieeee!!!

Whoopie Pie's
Recipe adapted from Taste.com

The December Daring Bakers' Challenge had us all cheering - the lovely and talented Bourbonnatrix of Bourbonnatrix Bakes was our hostess and challenged us to make fun, delicious and creative whoopie pies! Delicious little cake-like cookies sandwiching luscious filling in any flavors we chose... What else is there to say but "Whoopie!"

This holiday season had been quite busy for us and I could not post this any earlier. Well, I justified myself saying "Better late than never!". I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge, Thank you Bourbonnatrix :)

Ingredients:
125 g Butter, softened
3/4 cup Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, @ room temperature
Red food colouring, as needed
1 & 3/4 cup Plain Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Buttermilk, @ room temperature

FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
75 g Butter, softened
1 & 1/2 cup Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
200 g Cream Cheese, softened ( I used Philadelphia)
Food Colour, optional

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan /Gas 4. Prepare and line four large baking trays with parchment. 
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. 
• Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. 
• Now add in the red food colour as required and mix well.
• In another bowl, sift the plain flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.
• Tip half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. 
• Now add half the buttermilk and stir to combine well. 
• Repeat with remaining flour mixture and buttermilk until the whole mixture is well incorporated.
• Now spoon levelled tablespoons of the mixture (slightly apart, allowing room for spreading) onto prepared baking trays. 
• Bake for 8 - 10 mins or until puffed and cooked through (one tray at a time). 
• Let it cool for 2 mins in tray itself before transferring to a wire rack. Then let it cool completely.Repeat with remaining trays.  

FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until pale and fluffy. 
• Tip in the cream cheese and mix well until combined. Stir in the food colour too, if using. 
• Sandwich level tablespoons filling between cakes to make gorgeous whoopie pies.

Notes: I had halved this recipe and it yielded around 10 whoopie pies. I had also used copper food colouring while preparing the cream cheese filling. 

                                                                               ♥ Thank You ♥