Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies

Guest blogger Jan McKeel shares with us her experience yesterday at Columbia's local pie shop, Pie Sensations. The Food Network was in town filming for an upcoming episode of "Pitchin' In" which is shown in Canada and premiers in the US in January.
"So cool! Filming for Food Network at our own Pie Sensations!"

"One more shot from today's shoot with Chef Lynn Crawford for the Food Network! Thanks, Becky and Jean for putting Columbia on the map! I think Chef Crawford was Testifying to the deliciousness of Sweet Potato Whoopie Pie in this pic...and we ALL agree!"

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pie? OMYGOSH! I've never heard of such a thing! And nothing on the planet sounds more delicious. Since I don't have Ms Lynn's recipe, I'll share with you the recipe and photo I found from Paula Deen. I've not tested this recipe yet, but with ingredients like cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and sweet potato, how could it be bad??

I ran down to Pie Sensations today and asked about the Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies. They have a Maple Buttercream filling that Paula Deen's does not have. And they only cost $1. Might as well stop by or order a dozen to go. 

 

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies

 INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup mashed sweet potato
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Salted Peanut Cream Filling (recipe follows)
4 ounces package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted cocktail peanuts

 

DIRECTIONS

Position oven rack in center of oven.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg onto a sheet of waxed paper. 

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric mixer until fluffy, scraping bowl as necessary.  Add sweet potato, then eggs, beating until blended after each addition. Add half of flour mixture and half of buttermilk to creamed mixture; beat at medium speed just until blended.  Add remaining half of flour and buttermilk and vanilla; beat until blended.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter into 18 mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Or drop batter into 32 mounds by well-rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one baking sheet at a time, until cakes begin to crack and are firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. 

Remove from oven and slide the parchment paper, with the cakes, onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookies off the parchment paper.

Spread flat side of half of the cakes generously with Salted Peanut Cream Filling.  Top with the remaining cakes, pressing down lightly to seal them together.

 Makes 9 pies

Salted Peanut Cream Filling

Beat cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl at medium-high speed of an electric mixer until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Beat in confectioners’ and vanilla until smooth.

Pulse peanuts in a food processor until finely ground and they resemble dry breadcrumbs. Fold peanuts into cream mixture. 

Makes 1 1/2 cups