Recipe: Sandwich Cookies, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free
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| Finished sandwich cookie of goodness |
So I got it into my head that I wanted to make an Allergic Girl friendly Whoopie Pie for my birthday. I don’t think I’ve ever had a whoopie pie growing up (my mom’s confirms, we didn’t have them in the house); moon pies at camp yes, with marshmallow filling and graham cracker, enrobed in chocolate, but whoopie pie, nope.
The last few years I (or Brooklyn Allergy Mom) made safe for me birthday cake that was chocolate cake with white icing, which is my favorite flavor combo. I use King Arthur Gluten-free Chocolate Cake Mix and this dairy-free buttercream recipe.
This year I thought, let me try a whoopie pie. I looked up on Google who was making them gluten-free and nut-free and I also wanted to use a mix that was safe for me like King Arthur Gluten-free Chocolate Cake Mix or Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake Mix.
I found this GF Whoopie Pie recipe online. It’s based on Cake Mix Doctor Bake Gluten-Free's recipe, whose book I really liked and I reviewed here. When I looked at the original recipe in Anne Byrn’s book, it had way more ingredients and steps. As this GF Whoopie Pie recipe looked simpler, I thought I’d try.
The upshot: the finished product was delicious. Several fellow musical improvisers, none with food allergies or dietary needs, all loved and were licking their fingers looking for more.
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| Cooling cookies |
The inside the cakey part and the edges have a little crusty texture. A nice mix of textures overall.
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| Inside view of the cookie |
The filling is very soft when made, which is why the top cookie looks like it's sliding off; because it is.
I don't know that cooling the filling once made would help but the filling sets-up and gets firmer once chilled. So there's that.
And I don’t know that I would call it a whoopie pie. Having said this, one of my testers, upon having a bite, said, “What a great whoopie pie!”
I prefer to think of it a super yummy sandwich cookie. I would make them again. But for my birthday, I'm sticking with cake.
The recipe as written bellow is gluten-free, tree nut free, peanut-free and can easily be made dairy-free. Here is the recipe with my substitutions.
Enjoy!
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Recipe, Sandwich Cookies, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free
By Lori Karavolis and Anne Byrn, further adapted by me
Cookies:
1 -15 ounce box GF Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix
2 medium size organic eggs
5 T melted organic butter (or diary-free substitute)
Filling:
1 C confectioners’ sugar
1/2 C vegetable shortening (I used palm shortening)
1 C marshmallow fluff
1 t vanilla extract
2 T hot water
Pinch of kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all cookie ingredients in heavy duty mixing bowl; mix well. It will be dry looking. That's correct, don’t worry. Using a scoop or a teaspoon, shape batter into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
As cookies are cooling, make the filling. Place the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
To make sandwich cookies, spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Top with a second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Chill to set as they will be sloopy.
Yield: 15 Sandwich Cookies
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