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! 😉

Print Recipe

Frankenstein Chocolate Whoopie Pies

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.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: halloween

Servings: 20 pies

Author: The Kitchen Prep

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.