Convenience Store Treats & Gas Station Pie

The latest issue of DC's food zine The Runcible Spoon is on the cheap. Yes, it is relatively low in cost, but inside you'll also find odes to freegans, a tutorial on how to make a meal out of Whole Food samples, and a budget eating advice column. I contributed a few stories to the issue, one (pictured above) on selected regional convenience store treats of the Eastern United States, a cultural history of porridge through place and time with illustrations by Elizabeth Graeber (see it here), and a cheeky little guide (below) on how to use your creativity, gumption, and the ingredients at your disposable to make pie *inside* a gas station. The Runcible Spoon is always so much fun to write for and read, and this one was particularly so--pick up a copy online or find it at various local stores around D.C.

Related post:
Cracker Pie a.k.a. Mock Apple Pie
Lardass Returns in The Runcible Spoon Swimsuit Issue!

Cornmeal Whoopie Pies with Chocolate-Orange Buttercream

The cakes of the Cornmeal Whoopie Pies come from BraveTart's Stella Parks' recipe for Cornmeal Madeleines via her profile in the Southern Foodways Alliance series "Give Me Some Sugar".

Oatmeal Cream Pies

My family wasn't one for junk food. Sugary cereals were outlawed, "pop" (MIDWEST!) was reserved for Saturday "Star Trek and Pizza" nights and never with caffeine, and my brother and I were charged with the chore of making a salad to accompany every dinner. But occasionally my dad would buy us Little Debbie treats to put in our lunch boxes.

Nutty Bars, Zebra Cakes, Star Crunch, and the Oatmeal Cream (or as they spell it "Creme") Pie. Less flashy than its other relations, the oatmeal cream pie was somehow more nostalgic, even then. Perhaps because it seemed like something you could actually make at home, pulled from a classic simple red, white, and blue box, without the galaxy background or wacky fonts. 

Indeed, Oatmeal Creme Pies were the first recipe the Little Debbie company launched in 1960. The concept was new-- a "family pack" of treats, individually wrapped so they could be stuffed in pockets or thrown in lunch bags. The entire carton sold for 49 cents. This was novel, but the pie itself was familiar. Little Debbie didn't of course invent the oatmeal cream pie (though you might be able to credit them with the Star Crunch). It was already a common recipe, with Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish roots-- essentially a whoopie pie with oatmeal cakes (see here).

I set out to make these for the nostalgia, as well as just a general desire to make something a little different for this space-- a pie, but not. I used pastry chef Stella Parks' recipe, which she claimed to be creepily accurate to the Little Debbie version. She was right--shockingly similar (though better). Hers calls for marshmallow cream, which is probably most accurate to Little Debbie; though on their website it's listed as simply "creme filling" it does contain egg whites. Not being much of a mallow fan, I opted for a simple buttercream, adapted here from Sally's Baking Addiction. 

I considered buying a box of Little Debbie's, just for comparison, but after tasting, I'm less inclined. My nostalgia pang was satiated, and replaced by a hunger for the homemade when all I want's just one more oatmeal pie.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Cookies from Stella Parks of BraveTart, buttercream from Sally's Baking Addiction

Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients
For oatmeal cookies:
8 oz. all-purpose flour
4 oz. rolled oats
1/2 oz. cocoa powder
2 oz. dried apple rings
3 oz. unsalted butter
2 1/4 oz. safflower oil
7 oz. sugar
1 1/2 oz. molasses
3 oz. corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. mace
1 large egg
1 oz. whole milk

For buttercream:
6 oz. unsalted butter
12 oz. confectioner's sugar
3 Tblsp. heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Directions
For oatmeal cookies:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, mix flour, oats, cocoa, and apple rings. Process for 2 minutes until incorporated and no oat or apple pieces remain. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter with oil, sugar, molasses, corn syrup, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well incorporated, approximately 2 minutes. Add egg and beat one minute more.

4. Reducing speed to low, add all of the dry ingredients, then drizzle in the milk. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then mix 30 seconds more until combined.

5. Scoop dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet using a small (2 tsp.) cookie scoop. Level off each scoop with the side of the bowl so that the cookie size remains relatively consistent. Leave 1-2 inches between dough scoops, as the cookies will spread considerably in the oven.

6. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until cookies are puffed, set around the edges, but still quite soft. They will crisp once cooled, so make sure they are not overdone, particularly if you want to simulate a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie! Let cool completely while you prepare the buttercream.

For buttercream:
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter. Add the confectioner's sugar and mix on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and vanilla extract, and beat on high 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add pinch of salt to taste, and mix to incorporate, about 1-2 minutes more.

2. To assemble the cookies, use the 2 tsp. cookie scoop to scoop buttercream onto the bottom of an oatmeal cookie. Sandwich with another cookie and press to disperse the buttercream. Cookies are best eaten within 2 days (if they last that long).

I made these for a little Nothing-in-the-House Baking Co. pop-up at the Daniel Bachman show at Red Onion Records two Sundays past. They were a top seller, perfect for nibbling while enjoying some driving fingerstyle guitar. Thanks to Josh and Alissa for hosting me (and keeping me plied with tea!), and to Daniel for playing and for being an ever-positive presence.

Related recipe: "Indiana" Amish Oatmeal Pie

Amish Shoo-Fly and Whoopie Pies

Amish shoo-fly pies "made from gooey molasses-based filling and sometimes topped with chocolate cream." 

Photo by Carol M. Highsmith c. 1980 from the Library of Congress.

One of my favorite things to do when I am bored is to troll the Library of Congress digital collections (pushes up invisible nerd glasses). Of course I tend to look up topics I have a passionate interest in-- folk songs, hobos, and you guessed it, pies (and somehow those are all related. hmm...). I think I may have looked at all 1,785 entries for pie in the catalog. It's true.

You'll be seeing more of my search results, but these two photos of Amish shoo-fly pies and whoopie pies from Lancaster, Pennsylvania caught my eye. Just today at work we were discussing the possibility of featuring Maryland Amish whoopie pie vendors at an event, and I've been doing some free-lance work transcribing interviews related to medicine in Amish communities. I also grew up in northern Indiana, where we went out for lunch at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, bought produce from Amish farmers at the Goshen Farmers' Market, and spotted buggies parked outside our local Target. When I lived here in D.C. previously, I once met up with my friend Francis Lam (of Gilt Taste and formerly of Salon.com and Gourmet Magazine, RIP) at the Dutch Country Farmers' Market in Burtonsville, Maryland. There we wandered through the rows of vendors, taking in the sights of blaze orange cheese mixtures, mayonnaise-based casseroles, and strange pickled things, and picked up some to take home. I definitely snagged a whoopie pie or two and remember thinking it interesting that the baker's crescent-shaped fried pies or hand pies were called "moon pies," which to most of America, or at least south of the Mason-Dixon line, means something else entirely. 

 Amish whoopie pies "a surprisingly sinful treat." 

Photo by Carol M. Highsmith c. 1980 from the Library of Congress.

 There's something weird about these photos (or is it just me?). Though they are lined up in almost perfect rows according to color and variety, they still seem to be shot without artifice, sans any of today's bloggy food styling, as if they could appear in your middle school home-ec class textbook with a simple caption "Amish desserts". All the while, there is something appealing about them--I'd totally chomp into one of those oatmeal whoopie pies or chocolate covered shoo-fly pies given the chance. I should probably plan a return trip to the Dutch Country Market or whip up some oatmeal pies of my own? Shoo fly, don't bother me.

Ginger Lemon & Bourbon Orange Tart and German Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Last weekend I ventured to West Virginia, my friend and fellow Tart Kari in tow, for my pal Joe's 30th Birthday Party (and a friend reunion) in an old one-room schoolhouse-turned-sodapop speakeasy. 

It was magical. The weekend was jam-packed with lady time in the kitchen, walks in the woods, tune-playing, dancing to the best 45 jukebox this side of the Mississippi, joke-telling, bourbon drinking, and lots and lots of eating.

We spent the bulk of Saturday cooking, singing, and dancing in the kitchen. Kari and I worked together on two ginger lemon & orange bourbon tarts with cardamom almond crusts, baked in my new rectangular tart pans. We also collaborated with Lora, Amy and Mike on some German chocolate whoopie pies. 

Here's the recipe for the Ginger Lemon & Orange Bourbon Tarts, adapted from Eat The Love. He calls for blood oranges, but we couldn't find them this time of year, so used naval oranges instead.

Ginger Lemon & Orange Bourbon Tart with Cardamom Almond Crust

Ingredients
For the crust: 
Note: We had to double this for 2 rectangular tart pans, though one may be enough for a 10-in round tart pan.

1 1/4 cups all purpose white flour
1/2 cup almond meal (we used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup + 1 Tblsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the crust egg wash:
1 egg
1 pinch of salt

For the lemon ginger curd:
3 Tblsp. arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
1 cup + 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon
1 Tblsp. of freshly grated ginger
2 Tblsp. white wine
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
pinch of salt
3 Tblsp. of unsalted butter, cold

For the bourbon orange curd:
4 Tblsp. arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
1 cup + 2 Tblsp. granulated white sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
finely grated zest from 1 medium orange
2 Tblsp. of bourbon
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
pinch of salt
3 Tblsp. of unsalted butter, cold

Directions
For the crust:
1. In a large mixing bowl place the flour, almond meal, and cardamom. Using a whisk, vigorously stir dry ingredients until uniform in color.
2. Place the sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream butter on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add egg and vanilla. Mix on medium until incorporated.
3. Add all the dry ingredients to the butter and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
4. Split dough into two balls. Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Place a fluted 10-in. tart pan (or 2 rectangular pans) with removable bottom or baking sheet for easy removal from the oven.
6. Take one ball of dough out of the fridge and place on a generously floured flat surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 12-in. circle. If the dough starts to stick, use more flour.
7. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan, trying not to stretch it (stretching it will cause the dough to shrink when you bake it). Fit it into the tart pan and trim excess dough.
8. Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork all over and place in the preheated oven to bake for 15 minutes. In the meantime make the egg wash by whisking the egg with the pinch of salt in a small bowl.
9. After 15 minutes, pull the tart crust out, and brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the egg wash. Place back in the oven for 3 minutes. Take the crust out and let cool on a wire rack.

For the lemon ginger curd:
1. Place the arrowroot starch, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated ginger, white wine, eggs, egg yolks and salt in a small saucepan.
2. Turn the stove on low heat, and with a wisk, stir contents constantly as the curd cooks and thickens. Bring the curd to about 185˚F which should take about 7 or 8 minutes.
3. Once the curd has reached the right temperature turn off the stove and remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the curd into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 30 seconds to cool the curd. Then turn the speed to low and add one tablespoon of butter. Beat until it is melted and fully incorporated. Add the second tablespoon beating until it too is incorporated. Repeat with the final tablespoon.
4. Let the curd come to room temperature and pour it into a ziplock sandwich bag. Place the bag in the freezer for at least two hours or overnight.

For the bourbon orange curd:
1. Place the arrowroot starch, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, bourbon, eggs, egg yolks and salt in a small saucepan.
2. Turn the stove on low heat, and with a wisk, stir contents constantly as the curd cooks and thickens. Bring the curd to about 185˚F which should take about 7 or 8 minutes.
3. Once the curd has reached the right temperature turn off the stove and remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour the curd into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 30 seconds to cool the curd. Then turn the speed to low and add one tablespoon of butter. Beat until it is melted and fully incorporated. Add the second tablespoon beating until it too is incorporated. Repeat with the final tablespoon.
4. Let the curd come to room temperature and pour it into a ziplock sandwich bag. Place the bag in the freezer for at least two hours or overnight.

To assemble the tart:
1. Take the curds out of the freezer. Snip a corner of each bag.
2. Pipe one stripe of lemon curd on the side of the tart shell. Pipe another stripe of orange curd next to it. Alternate stripes of curd until the tart shell is filled. (We followed these directions, though in the end the lemon and orange curds were not that different in color to notice the stripes, though it did allow for a nice mixing of flavors).
3. Using a butter knife, smooth the curd out on the tart but running the knife across the curds, flat, in parallel strokes to the curd. 
4. Once the curd is smoothed out, turn the tart so the stripes are vertical as you look down on it. Take a toothpick or butter knife and place it about an inch from the “top” of the stripes on the tart. Drag it across the tart, from left to right perpendicular to the stripes. Then move the toothpick down an inch and drag the toothpick perpendicular the other way across the tart. Repeat until back and forth, all the way down the tart.
5. OPTIONAL: Taking a sifter or mesh sieve, dust the edges of the tart with a generous amount of powdered sugar. The powdered sugar will cover up any of the edges that were hard to smooth out with the knife.

6. Serve the tart chilled or at room temperature.

The tarts were heavenly, with really bold citrus flavors and not too sweet. The crust was a little finicky, but fairly forgiving. We rolled out one, and ended up pressing in another. I will definitely be making those again.

The German chocolate whoopie pies, with ganache made by Lora, "cookies" made by Mike and Amy, filling made my me, and assembling by Kari, served as the "birthday cake" of the evening. Lora found the recipe from Bon Appetite. Here's our version...

German chocolate Whoopie Pies 
Makes about 15 pies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 cups all purpose flour
5 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/8 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 Tblsp. vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk 

For the German chocolate filling:

1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the chocolate ganache:   

3 Tblsp. heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

For the cookies: 

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. 

2. Drop dough by very rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are slightly puffed and spread but still soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.  Cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in single layer at room temperature.

For the German chocolate filling: 

1. Whisk evaporated milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in large saucepan. Whisk in sugar and pinch of salt. Add butter. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and turns golden and thermometer inserted into mixture registers 175°F to 178°F, 8 to 10 minutes (do not boil). Remove saucepan from heat, stir in coconut and pecans. Transfer filling to bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Cover and chill until filling is slightly firmer, about 1 hour. Can be made 1 days ahead. Keep chilled. 

For the chocolate ganache: 

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Cool ganache until lukewarm but still spreadable, about 15 minutes.

2. Scoop 1 rounded tablespoon German chocolate filling on bottom of half of cookies. Place cookies, filling side up, on prepared baking sheet. Spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate ganache onto bottom (flat side) of remaining half of cookies (We put ours on top). Place 1 ganache-topped cookie, ganache side down, atop each German chocolate-filled cookie, pressing slightly to adhere.  Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate in airtight container.

With these two divine treats, salted and apple cider caramels, Lora's fig-infused cocktails, and other delights of the weekend (including Dawson family sliders, various breads, buttered popcorn ice cream, a bacon taste-off, and apple cider drop doughnut holes--all homemade), we decided that we are going to start a private restaurant for ourselves (a closed-loop system), and just maybe take over the world.

Very special thanks to Brynn, Mike and Amy for being AMAZING hosts, Lora for all the planning and gathering us all together, and Kari for the great pictures. I may post some more when I get my film back. Hope to return to West Virginia for more deliciousness soon.

p.s. check out Dale's blog for Lora's winter mimosa recipe we enjoyed on Saturday morning!

Dewey's Bakery

In Winston-Salem, NC. Clockwise from top left: mini apple pie, red velvet whoopie pie, chocolate eclaire. Sent in by my friend Lora. Let's go!

The Pie of By-and-By

Michael Hurley is one of my favorite musicians in the world. His songs have that perfect balance of rawness and beauty that makes for real musical honesty that I can't get enough of. He has been putting out records since his release First Songs on Folkways in 1964, but has successfully avoided getting popular (though I'd definitely call him famous, at least among music nerds). Another thing I like about his music is that he often sings about pies (and paints them too). I could go on for quite a while about his music and art, but since this is a pie blog, I'll cut to the chase.

Here is one of his album covers from Wolf Ways released in 1994:

It depicts his werewolf alter-ego, chowing down on what appear to be whoopie pies (?), with some double-crust pies on deck. Here is one of the pie-themed songs (and one of my favorites) on this album, though a different version, this one from his 1998 LP Long Journey:

Check out some more of his pie songs, Water Train and Hoot Owls on Hi-Fi Snock Uptown (1972, and re-issued on Mississippi last year), as well as the rest of his catalog as soon as you get the chance.

Oh that pie, the pie of by-and-by...

** ADDENDUM**
Just received this great message from Mr. Hurley himself about this post...

dear Emily;

thanks for having me on the pie blog. I remain a huge fan of pie. it and tea are about the only consumable vices left to my options. a apple, pear, strawberry, blueberry, pies with no sugar but with honey and a whole wheat crust, they can't kill ya in moderation. I go into this place...my most frequented restaurant in portland, an americanized burrito joint, and they always have two pies they are selling slices out of, baked elsewhere, last time it was the ginger/pear, I order my burrito to eat there and get a slice of pie to go for late night when all the restaurants are closed and I'm hungry again.

cheers

Michael

Pumpkin Whoopie Inspiration: Maple-Cream Cheese Variation

Last Sunday I got home from brunch and the grocery store, all set to make pumpkin (actually butternut squash--the store had no pumpkin puree yet!) cupcakes for a pumpkin-carving party. But after peeking here and seeing Michelle's pumpkin whoopie pies, I had to divert my plans! I didn't have marshmallow on hand (and am not so much a fun of marshmallow creme in general), so I made a maple-cream cheese filling instead.

I used Michelle's recipe below for the cakes, and used this recipe for the filling:

Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 Tblsp. maple syrup

Directions
1. In a food processor, beat the butter until it is smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
2. Add the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup and beat until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.
A hit amongst the jack o' lanterns and at the WXYC new DJ filing party the next day!

p.s. if you've never experienced the whoopie or need some background check out this post and the linked NY Times article from last year.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES with MAPLE-MARSHMALLOW FILLING 

1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 7-oz jar marshmallow creme
2 t. maple extract
CAKE
3 c. all purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1-1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. ground nutmeg
3/4 t. ground cloves
6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
1/2 c. milk
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

PREPARATION

FILLING
(1) Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
CAKE
(1) Sift first 7 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until blended. Gradually beat in oil. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with milk in 1 addition, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Cover and chill batter 1 hour.
(2) Arrange 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spoon batter onto baking sheet to form cakes (~3 T. per pie to make ~23 pies), spacing apart. Let stand 10 minutes.
(3) Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely on baking sheets on rack. Using metal spatula, remove cakes from parchment.
(4) Line cooled baking sheets with clean parchment; spray with nonstick spray, and repeat baking with remaining batter.
(5) Spoon about 2 T. filling on flat side of 1 cake. Top with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.

Is the Whoopie Pie a Pie?

Though I have spent a good deal of time in Maine and grew up in Amish country, I didn't pay whoopie pies much heed until one of the reference librarians at the American Folklife Center came in with this New York Times article, raving about the sandwiched dessert. After a long discussion with her on the merits of the whoopie, its history, and the difference between a whoopie pie and a moon pie, I figured it was my obligation as an aspiring folklorist and pie enthusiast to give these traditional treats a whirl and investigate the question: is the whoopie pie indeed a pie?

I followed this recipe from the Times article, which happens to be from Zingerman's Bakehouse, a favorite Ann Arbor haunt. The cakes were indeed dry and not-so-sweet, which I thought was perfect, especially considering the OBSCENE amount of butter called for in the filling. Next time I would cut down on the butter, because when I put the whoopies in the fridge, the filling congealed in a not-so-appealing way, more reminiscent of biting into a stick of butter than not.


Since baking these whoopies once in Alexandria, with expert tasters Abby and Jake, and again at NELP in Maine, I tried a pumpkin whoopie (which I prefer to chocolate) at the Dutch Country Market in Laurel, MD and a brownie whoopie, homemade by a pair of little girls at the Bowdoinham, ME Farmers' Market. Both were excellent.


So is a whoopie a pie? Recipe-wise, it seems more like an inverted cupcake to me, but it does utilize the basic pie structure of filling surrounded by 2 doughs. But in the end I find the question negligible--no big whoop(ie).