Grandma Ruth always said that if you could stir a bowl and turn on the oven, you could make any day feel like a holiday. These simple Amish-style whoopie pies are exactly that kind of recipe: dark, tender chocolate cakes sandwiched around a sweet, creamy filling, made from the everyday staples most of us keep on hand—flour, cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, milk, and butter. Around here in the rural Midwest, they showed up at church suppers, 4-H bake sales, and rainy Saturday afternoons when you needed a little something special without a lot of fuss. This is the quick, no-nonsense version she swore by when she wanted a treat that felt like an occasion but didn’t keep her in the kitchen all day.
Pile the whoopie pies onto a simple ceramic platter and set them right in the middle of the table—no doilies or decorations needed. They’re lovely with a glass of cold milk, a cup of coffee, or hot tea after supper. For company, I like to pair them with fresh berries or sliced fruit to cut the richness a bit. They travel well for potlucks and picnics, and if you tuck them into the fridge for an hour before serving, the filling firms up just enough to make them extra tidy and satisfying to eat.
Amish Whoopie Pies
Servings: 10-12 whoopie pies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (for filling)
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (for filling)
2-3 tablespoons milk (for filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
Pinch of salt (for filling)
Directions
