Florida Orange Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
A new spin on what some fans—especially those from Pennsylvania, Maine or New Hampshire, all of which lay claim as the whoopie pie’s birthplace—consider an American classic. This tasty version replaces the chocolate cake with red velvet, adding orange juice to the batter and orange zest to the cream to really kick up the flavor.
Ingredients
Filling:
½ cup heavy cream, chilled
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon orange zest, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whoopie Pies:
1 cup Florida orange juice
1 (18- to 22-ounce) red velvet cake mix
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup unsalted butter, unsalted, melted
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon orange zest, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Steps
For Filling: Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks; reserve. Combine cream cheese, sugar, butter, orange zest and vanilla in mixing bowl; beat with mixer until combined. Fold in reserved whipped cream. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before using, mix gently by hand until soft.
For Whoopie Pies: Place orange juice in small saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced to one-third original volume. Remove from heat; reserve.
Combine red velvet cake mix, reduced orange juice, egg, butter, flour, orange zest and vanilla; mix with wooden spoon just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Form mixture into 24 (1 ½-inch diameter) balls; place on greased baking sheet, allowing space between for dough to spread. Bake in 350° F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are set, but not crispy. Remove cookies from baking sheet with wire spatula; place on wire rack to cool completely.
To assemble Whoopee Pies just before serving, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling on flat side of 12 cookies; top with remaining cookies, flat side toward filling. Dust with powdered sugar; serve immediately.