Sunday, October 28, 2012

Banana Whoopie Pies




Bananas are my most favorite fruit of all time. Once I ate bananas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one whole day! I can not get enough because I just love how sweet it gets as days go by. Being a banana lover, I felt very dumbfounded when I discovered that it has little tiny black seeds in the inside! After all of this time, I have just found out that bananas contain seeds! Haha well I hope you enjoy this recipe! Follow me on this blog for more blog updates and leave a comment if desired! :)


Banana Whoopie Pies
Yield: 30-36 sandwich cookies

For the caramel sauce:
½ cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup mashed banana (about 1-1½ bananas)
½ cup sour cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:*
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces, at room temperature
½ cup caramel sauce (above)
*This will make more filling/frosting than you actually need for this recipe (I had about 1 cup extra).  You could reduce to 2/3 or simply save for another use.
To make the caramel sauce: Spread the sugar out in an even layer in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat.  Once the sugar starts to liquefy around the edges, stir it gently with a spatula towards the center.  Continue stirring gently until all of the sugar is melted and no hard bits remain.  Once the caramel reaches a deep amber color, remove it from the heat. Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in half of the cream.  The mixture will bubble and steam violently.  Stir until the cream is thoroughly combined, then whisk in the remaining cream.  (don't worry about clumps)  Return the pan to medium-low heat and continue to whisk gently until everything is melted and smooth.  Stir in the salt and vanilla.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  (This sauce can be refrigerated and reheated.)
To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend, and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the mashed banana and sour cream.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix each addition just until incorporated.  
Pipe the batter using a plain round tip onto the prepared baking sheets into 1¼-inch rounds, spacing a couple of inches apart.  Bake until the cookies are just set and the bottom edges are starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  
To make the filling: Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat the mixture, whisking very frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and reaches 160° F on an instant read thermometer.  Transfer the mixture to the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.  Reduce the speed to medium low, add in the salt and begin adding the butter one piece at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in ½ cup of the cooled caramel sauce until well blended.  
Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs by size.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the caramel filling.  Pipe a dollop of filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich the cookies together, pushing the filling to the edges.  Store in an airtight container.

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