So just a few days ago I was shopping at TJMaxx and I found this cookbook: Gluten Free Baking by Michael McCamley. I scanned through the pages and when my eyes stopped on Whoopie Pies I was SOLD! I love those things and have never made them before. The ingredients actually seemed simple enough too.
Photo of Gluten Free Baking book before I even got it out of the store
The pages that sold me
So I bought it and scanned through the book page by page. There were a good number of recipes I decided I would try. There are a few that I may never make for my “plain Jane” family’s taste buds…like the Drambuie Christmas Cake and the Apricot and Coconut Bars. But you may very well love those!
I cannot pass up the opportunity though to make Oven-Baked Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Strawberry and Vanilla Cream Puffs, Angel Food Cake and Home-made Oven-Baked Rolls. — I know my waistline is expanding just thinking about all the calories.
Making Gluten Free Whoopie Pies
They were really easy! The only ingredient that I had trouble with was the glycerin it called for. I could not find any in the baking section of the store, so I went with a recommended substitution (thanks Google) of vegetable oil. Basically, the recipe is as much work as baking cookies and then frosting them (and putting them together like a sandwich).
Suddenly voila! They were done! I asked the publisher if I could reprint the recipe and they said yes! You can find this book at Barnes and Noble and it is back on Amazon (it was apparently out of stock when I couldn’t find it on Amazon a few days ago).
The publisher has approved my publication of this recipe. I will also include the publication of the gluten free flour mix that the author created (I missed his flour mix before I made the Whoopie Pies, so my flour mix was a bit different — and it still worked).
Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Mix (Courtesy: Gluten Free Baking by Michael McCamley)
1 1/2 c. Sorghum flour or Brown Rice flour
1 3/4 c. Tapioca flour
1/2 c. almond flour
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Gluten-Free Chocolate & Vanilla Whoopie Pies (Courtesy: Gluten Free Baking by Michael McCamley)
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (plus extra for greasing)
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon glycerin (*I used vegetable oil)
1 c. gluten-free all purpose flour **
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 c. gluten-free unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 c. milk
In the oven
Butter Cream frosting/filling
6 TBSP butter, softened
1 c. confectioners’ sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
2 TBSP heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease two large baking sheets and line with parchment paper or silicone paper
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and glycerin in a bowl. Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold into the mixture. Slowly add just enough milk to make a smooth batter.
Use two teaspoons to shape 20 walnut-size balls of the batter and place them well apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Gluten Free Whoopie Pies!
Bake in the preheated oven, one sheet at a time (this is true– I did two sheets and the one that was closest to the bottom left the cakes with fried bottoms) for 8-10 minutes, or until just risen and firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the buttercream, whip together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and cream until creamy.
To assemble, spread or pipe the buttercream filling on the flat side of half of the cakes. Top with the rest of the cakes. Arrange on a serving plate and sift confectioners’ sugar over the pies.
This only makes about 10 pies. So if you are having a party you might need to double the recipe.
Enjoy! And let me know how it goes!
**I used my own gluten-free flour mix:
Bette Hagman’s Gluten Free Flour Blend of :
6 c. Rice Flour
2 c. Potato Starch
1 c. Tapioca Starch
Whenever a recipe calls for flour, I use half of the blend and then the other half is equal amounts of sorghum and brown rice flours.
Tags: celiac, desserts, disease, gluten-free, whoopie pies
November 13th, 2013 at 9:46 am
Thanks for sharing this cook book find, as well as a recipe for whoopee pies that are gluten free. Good post.