Frankenstein Chocolate Whoopie Pies

I hate that I have become such a super duper party pooper when it comes to Halloween over the past decade or so.

Every year, without fail, October comes around and I tell myself, "I'm going to get really festive on the blog this year. Bats, ghouls, pumpkins and witches galore!!!" And then, whomp whomp, November arrives and I'm all... "Oops. Did I miss it??"

I get much more excited about all the cooking that comes with Thanksgiving and all the baking that comes with Christmas, and I think I've finally come to the realization that part of the reason Halloween doesn't appeal to me is because I'm not into "spooky." At all.

I always tell the story that, as a child, I would end my nightly prayers with, "And please don't let me see any ghosts or aliens. AMEN." Not much has changed. {As a side note, I attribute about 90% of these unfounded fears to the fact that my mom was a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries, which I could hear as I drifted off to sleep. The theme song still sends shivers down my spine. ::: shudder :::}

Anyway, in an effort to motivate myself to participate in the Halloween revelry this year, I've decided that what I need to do is 1. Bake something delicious and 2. Make it more cutesy than creepy. Yes, I think that'll do the trick.

One surefire way to pique my enthusiasm is to hand me a cookbook -- especially one filled with tasty cookie recipes. And, wouldn't you know it, a fellow blogger just wrote one called The Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook that is packed with just that! Miranda's book {which you can pre-order on Amazon before its Halloween day release date} is exactly what I needed to get me pumped for all the holiday baking that is coming my way, and with a few tweaks to her classic Chocolate Whoopie Pie recipe, I was even able to officially get myself into the Halloween spirit. {Ha, spirit. No pun intended.}

Miranda's book is bursting at the seams with 150 cookie recipes, from well-loved classics to reliable standards with a twist. Her recipe for Chocolate Whoopie Pies caught my eye right away as a treat that I could easily Halloween-ify!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies are basically just a way to indulge in a thick smear of sweet, creamy buttercream filling using two soft, cakey cookies as the mode of transportation to your mouth. They're rich, indulgent and -- most importantly -- portable and easy to serve, making it an ideal treat to take to potlucks and celebrations.

All it took to give these classic confections a seasonal look was some food coloring, mini marshmallows, candy eyeballs and a tiny bit of melted white chocolate. With very little fuss, I was able to transform them from a standard whoopie pie to a monster movie-inspired dessert -- Franken Pies!

I think even I can get on board with these monstrously delicious bites. Make them for your Halloween celebrations and watch the festive atmosphere come alive! 😉

Frankenstein Chocolate Whoopie Pies

The Kitchen Prep

Chocolate Whoopie Pies are basically just a way to indulge in a thick smear of sweet, creamy buttercream filling using two soft, cakey cookies as the mode of transportation to your mouth.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 20 pies

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ¾ cup 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup buttermilk

For the Filling

• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Frankenstein decorations

• 40 mini marshmallows
• 40 candy eyes
• Melted white chocolate
• Green food coloring

Instructions

 

• In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and both sugars until light and creamy. This will take about 3 minutes if using an electric mixer or 5 to 6 minutes if creaming by hand.
• Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add the buttermilk and dry ingredients in alternating batches, beating on low speed or by hand until incorporated.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a medium (11?2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and drop them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until the tops are slightly cracked.
• Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

To Make the Filling:

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium or a wooden spoon, beat
• together the butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the filling to a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner of the bag. Once the cookies are completely cooled, pipe a swirl on the bottom (flat) side of half of the whoopie pies. Add the top cookies, flat-side down, and gently press together.

Notes

Recipe from The Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook by Miranda Couse. Reprinted with permission from author.

- To "Monsterfy" your Whoopie Pies, simply tint your frosting with some green food coloring before piping. Place 2 candy eyes on each whoopie pie, and 2 mini marshmallows on each side to make Frankenstein's "bolts." Finish off by piping "stitches" using melted white chocolate or frosting.