By Week 496. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Back to school. The annual transition. Rémy (14) in school, cooking and fishing. Colette (16) in high school, painting. The dinner table conversation getting deeper as the kids get older and the topics shift from homework to life and the shift is the growth and the growth is the point.
Made chicken and sausage gumbo this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The roux keeps turning.
After a bowl of gumbo that smells like Louisiana and tastes like home, you want something to land the evening softly — nothing complicated, just warm and sweet and made with the season in mind. These Maple Whoopie Pies are exactly that: the kind of thing you set on the counter while the dinner dishes are still soaking and watch disappear before the conversation winds down. Rémy and Colette are at the age where the table talk goes long now, and a little something maple and fall-flavored gives everyone a reason to linger just a little longer.
Maple Whoopie Pies
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 12 whoopie pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- For the maple cream filling:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Combine wet and dry. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk (beginning and ending with the flour mixture). Mix until just combined — do not overmix.
- Scoop the cakes. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should get about 24 rounds.
- Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the tops are set and spring back lightly when touched. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the filling. Beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the filling is smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
- Assemble. Spread or pipe a generous layer of maple cream filling onto the flat side of one cake round. Press a second round gently on top, flat side down. Repeat with remaining rounds.
- Serve. Serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Let refrigerated pies come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 57g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg