Holiday Whoopie Pies

Recipe from Gina Schomaker.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup milk

Mint Buttercream:

2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp butter
8 Tbsp shortening
3 Tbsp cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp mint extract
food coloring optional

Ganache:

3 Tbsp cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Cookies:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line pans with parchment. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda with a whisk in a bowl. Using mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture alternately with milk.

Drop using a portion scoop. Bake for 5 minutes and rotate.  Bake for another 3-5 minutes and cool.

Mint Buttercream:

Beat the butter and shortening with a paddle attachment, add the cream, vanilla, mint extract, and finally powdered sugar.  Beat another 3 minutes.

Ganache:

Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan or microwave.  Pour over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.  Cool 15 minutes until spreadable.

Spread ganache on one cookie and mint butter cream on another and sandwich together.