Mixed Review: Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Whoopie Pie Mix
"The combination of cakey chocolate and creamy vanilla was sublime—like a cross between a cupcake and an Oreo cookie."
After reading the whoopie pie piece in last week's New York Times, I couldn't stop thinking about the pillowy pastries. Visions of moist chocolate cake moons and mounds of sugary cream filled my head. And I wasn't alone—inspired by the piece, a friend opted to serve whoopie pies instead of cupcakes at her birthday party last weekend.
The whoopie pies she had—from Glaser's Bakery on Manhattan's Upper East Side—more than fulfilled my fantasies. The cakes, each about the size of a diner-style pancake, were light and fudgy, and left a trail of soft crumbs across every napkin they touched. The cream filling was generous and rich with vanilla and sugar. Glaser's, which is more than 100 years old, may be famous for their black and whites, but their whoopies are not to be missed, either.
While you might think that after one enormous whoopie pie (all right, one and a half) my craving would be satisfied, the hankering came back stronger than ever after only a day or two. I ran to the store and bought a box of Stonewall Kitchen's Chocolate Whoopie Pie Mix ($10) and set about baking an entire batch for my own private consumption.
Inside the box were two pouches: one filled with cake mix, the other with frosting mix. Following the instructions, I beat 1/4 cup of solid vegetable shortening together with 1 egg, and then alternately added in the cake mix and 2/3 cup of water. The resulting batter was incredibly fluffy, almost like chiffon cake. It tasted like whipped brownie batter. It took a lot of will power not to eat the whole bowl with a spoon, but alas, I dropped heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets (24 cookie-cakes in all) and slid them into the oven.
Eight minutes later they emerged puffed and set. Though they were much smaller than Glaser's (only about the size of an English muffin) they had the same delectable, sticky-crumbly consistency.
While the cakes cooled, I made the frosting. I beat together 6 tablespoons of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of milk and the contents of the frosting pouch. At first, there didn't appear to be nearly enough cream for the filling, but after a few minutes with the mixer on high, the volume had nearly doubled.
After putting together each "sandwich," I poured myself a glass of milk and took a bite. The combination of cakey chocolate and creamy vanilla was sublime—like a cross between a cupcake and an Oreo cookie. My only complaint was that my whoopie pies were a tiny bit sticky. After resting on a serving plate for a few minutes, half the bottoms pulled away when I tried to lift them. Oh well, I've learned my lesson for next time: eat them all immediately.
Related: Forget Cupcakes: Whoopie Pies Are Gonna Be Big
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9 Comments:
OMG. I live down the street from the Stonewall Kitchen factory. I am buying this tomorrow. Yum. I wonder if my daughter would object if I served these instead of cupcakes at her birthday party on Sunday (she's 4)...
jettabugfox at 7:17PM on 03/26/09
Personally, I'm a fan of Bakerella's version - http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/02/easy-and-easier-valentine-treats.html Hers uses canned frosting, but you could certainly whip up your own lickety-split.
trillian42 at 7:33PM on 03/26/09
Speaking as a former central Pennsylvanian - a whoopie pie isn't legit unless half the cake sticks to your plate (or its saran wrap covering, or your fingers). It's part of the charm.
yourtwowinters at 10:44PM on 03/26/09
Where do I get this mix??? I might have to venture over to Whole Foods to hunt! These look divine!
mcanna at 11:00PM on 03/26/09
They look great. My mom used to make whoppie pies for us when we were kids but I haven't had them in a while.
saraann at 10:48AM on 03/27/09
@mcanna - I've seen Stonewall Kitchen in some stores or catalogs (maybe Williams-Sonoma?) but I can't recall specifically. But you can go to stonewallkitchen.com and mail order.
cara_mia at 4:27PM on 03/27/09
PS - Sur La Table and Le Gourmet Chef both carry Stonewall Kitchen products, but may not specifically carry the whoopie pie mix.
cara_mia at 4:32PM on 03/27/09
Oooh...I might have to hit WIlliams Sonoma this weekend and even try to hit the new Sur La Table in the area. Just the excuse I need for some economic stimulation- Whoopie Pies!
mcanna at 6:51PM on 03/27/09
Columbine is selling awesome Whoopie Pies today (in Tribeca, Franklin Sq)..
I'm already plotting out my lunch route! :)
dbdtron at 10:24AM on 03/31/09