Banana Whoopie Pies

I am always looking for recipes to make with bananas because I feel like I always have ripened bananas hanging around. I think I have told you before that I always have bananas on hand even when I am not a big banana eater. It just makes me feel healthy and makes my kitchen feel homey to have them sitting there on top of my microwave. Since living in the South I have heard more about whoopie pies and seen them sold more than I have anywhere else. There are red velvet whoopie pies, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, raspberry, peanut butter........any flavor you could ever want.

So as I was browsing through some of Martha Stewart's recipes on her website, I typed in the word banana and it gave me an array of recipes involving bananas and there in front of me was a recipe for Banana Whoopie Pies. Since I was a Whoopie Pie virgin I knew that I had to try them and enter into the world of Whoopie Pies. These cake-like sandwiches were originally made by Pennsylvanian Amish woman, who placed them in farmer's lunches and it is said that when they would find these pies in their lunches they would shout "whoopie". After making these delicious little treats, I was taken with the moistness of the recipe, and how good the banana cake was with a creamy cream cheese frosting.....divine is all I can say about this recipe, divine.

Banana Whoopie Pies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture. Mix until well blended.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 9- 12 minutes (mine were done in 9 minutes). Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.) While cookies are cooling make the cream cheese frosting below.........

Cream Cheese Frosting (for filling)

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

16 ounces confectioners sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a stand mixer combine cream cheese, butter and sugar. Mix at high speed for 5-6 minutes. The longer you mix frosting, the smoother the texture will be. Then lastly, add in the vanilla. Mix until completely blended.

Once cookies are cooled, pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.

I have been converted to Whoopie Pies and I am a lover of banana bread, so banana bread with cream cheese frosting is nothing short of heavenly. So easy to make and is a perfect finger food for any gathering. You will not be disappointed by this amazing comfort food!

Enjoy!