Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

For the cookies:
2 cups flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 oz red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If desired, you can outline hearts with a pencil to serve as a guideline for your heart piping. If you do this, make sure to flip the parchment paper over before piping the cookies.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Slowly mix in 1/2 the dry ingredients and half the buttermilk. Repeat and mix until just combined. Add in red food coloring and mix until it’s equally distributed.

Place batter in a piping bag fitted with a large, round tip. Pipe rounds or hearts on the parchment paper. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until the top of the cookies are set. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
5 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip. To assemble whoopie pies, pipe a round of frosting on the backside of a cookie. Create a sandwich with another cookie and press gently so the frosting squishes to the sides.

Recipe from Annies Eats