These are my take on chocolate cookie whoopie pies. I first made them a long time ago (in a galaxy in the West Loop) for a May 4th Star Wars–themed party at Little Goat. (May the fourth be with you!) They don’t do a ton of tasty eating in the movies that I could use as inspiration, but my cooks and I managed to come up with fun dishes like Masa the Hut, Obi Naan, and Ewok Empanadas. Oh, and we served a green Yoda cocktail (which, you’ll notice, is a recipe that did not make it into this book). Anyway, whether or not you’re a total Star Wars nerd like me, these are still a chocolate lover’s dream: fluffy chocolate cake filled with creamy chocolate icing.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until well combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well between additions.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, then ½ cup of the buttermilk. Scrape the bowl again and add half of the remaining flour mixture and the rest of the buttermilk before mixing in the last of the flour.
- Mix just until combined (it will be very thick).
- Detach the bowl from the mixer and scrape the bottom to make sure the batter is uniform.
- Portion the batter in 3-tablespoon scoops and put 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet tray. Bake until completely set but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let cool completely on the sheet tray before transferring to a wire rack.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until soft and smooth, 2 minutes. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, buttermilk powder, and salt, and mix on low speed until combined. Drizzle in the milk and vanilla, and mix until completely combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before whipping the ingredients on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a ½-inch tip.
- Lay half the cookies flat side up on a smooth surface. Pipe the filling onto the center of each cookie, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with a naked cookie, flat side down, and press down to squish the filling to the edge. Serve at room temperature. (Store wookies on a plate or baking sheet, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days.)
Reprinted with permission from Gather & Graze copyright © 2018 by Stephanie Izard. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
