Whoopie Cookies — The Humble Thing You Make When the House Goes Quiet

A quiet week, which in my life is not common and which I have learned to receive as a gift rather than a problem. The Tuesday dinner ran smoothly. The cooking class was good. Calvin was at three meetings this week that did not require my involvement. The house was quiet on Thursday and Friday in a way that I allowed to be quiet—I did not fill it with projects, I did not manufacture activity, I sat with the quiet and let it be what it was, which is: space. Room to breathe. The occasional moment when the kitchen is not producing, when the stove is off by choice rather than grief, when the silence is comfortable rather than terrifying.

I made tea cakes. Loretta Simms making tea cakes on a Thursday afternoon for no occasion and no audience except Calvin, who ate three and asked if there were more—there were more—and who said nothing about them except to eat them, which is the highest compliment tea cakes can receive, because tea cakes are humble things, meant to be eaten quietly rather than praised loudly. They are small and round and slightly sweet, flavored with vanilla and a hint of nutmeg, and they have the particular texture of a cookie that is almost a cake, the tenderness of the good-quality flour and the real butter and the egg that holds everything together. Bernice made tea cakes. Her mother made tea cakes. I make tea cakes. The tea cake is among the oldest things I know how to make, older than the fried chicken, older than the mac and cheese, one of the first things Bernice put in my hands, and I make it on quiet Thursdays when the house is still and the kitchen is mine and there is no one to feed except the man who loves me.

Tea cakes were what I made, but whoopie cookies are what I’ll share here, because they live in the same spirit—soft and round and slightly sweet, made with butter and real vanilla, the kind of thing you bake not for a table full of guests but for one man who will eat three without saying a word, which is all the praise you need. Bernice would have understood. The quiet Thursday kitchen is the right place for a recipe like this one.

Whoopie Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 16 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• For the filling:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream, as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
4. 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. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
5. Portion the cookies. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. You should get 32 rounds total.
6. Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes, until the cookies are set and spring back lightly when touched in the center. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
7. Make the filling. Beat the softened butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar gradually, then the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time if the filling seems too stiff.
8. Assemble. Match cookies into pairs of similar size. Spread or pipe a generous tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, then press the second cookie gently on top. Repeat with remaining cookies.
9. Serve. Serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. They are best the day they are made, eaten quietly, with no commentary required.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 285 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 160mg