For those living in the Northeast, the whoopie pie is a familiar treat. Not quite a sandwich cookie, not quite a cake, whoopie pies are marked by two characteristics: their soft, rounded shape and generous amount of creamy filling.

The “classic” version of a whoopie pie is chocolate with marshmallow filling. This is the whoopie pie most likely found next to cash registers at mom-and-pop shops, gas stations, and diners throughout Maine, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Explore a new, delicious and Fall-inspired version with apple cider whoopie pies!

Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: About 55 minutes, plus time for chilling

These apple cider whoopie pies are inspired by the classic apple cider doughnut and, true to form, are dusted with cinnamon sugar. Apple cider that’s been reduced and a bit of apple butter work in tandem to subtly flavor the fluffy cakes, and good old cream cheese frosting makes the ideal filling. For beautiful, uniformly sized cakes, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the batter for baking. If you don’t have one, they might bake up a little wonky, but they’ll still taste delightful.

Ingredients

For the Cakes 

• 1 ¼ cup apple cider

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons melted

• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• ¼ cup apple butter

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

For the Filling

• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely. (You can pop the reduced cider in the fridge or freezer to cool faster while you continue.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the room-temperature butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add egg, apple butter and reduced apple cider, and beat until combined. Your batter may look like it has separated slightly, and that’s okay. Add the dry mixture and mix just until combined, again scraping the bowl as necessary.

3. Portion the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until the cakes are puffed and set, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to racks. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the granulated sugar. Brush the tops of the warm cakes with a bit of the melted butter and gently toss them in the sugar mixture. Set aside to cool completely.

4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling on the flat side of half of the cakes. Top with the other halves.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Sending All My Love from the Acadian Coast,

Puranjot