Wicked whoopie pies! Bwa-hahaahaa! Play with your food! New food colorings add to the fun of creating ghoulishly delicious treats for Halloween.
What better time to try new food colors?
Test the black with black velvet whoopie pies a whimsical take on red velvet cake. Then use the new neons to tint your frighteningly colorful fillings to match the taste of monster, slime and goblin. Or raspberry, lime and orange, if you prefer. The food dyes, which are from McCormick, are gluten free. Black food coloring is less than $4 an ounce. The neons are about $5 for four colors.
Whoopie pies
Cookies:
1package (15 1/4 to 18 1/4 ounces) German chocolate cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3tablespoons black food coloring
3eggs
1tablespoon vanilla extract
Jack-O-Lantern orange filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
11/2cups powdered sugar
1jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring
For the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cake mix, water, cocoa powder, oil, food color, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter, 2 inches apart, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Cookies will spread so avoid crowding them on baking sheet.)
Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are puffed and spring back when touched, turning baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
For the orange filling, beat all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
To assemble, place 1 tablespoon filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Makes 24 whoopie pies, one per serving.
Variations:
Frankenstein green filling: Use lemon extract in place of the orange extract and 1/4 teaspoon neon green food coloring in place of the yellow and red food color.
Phantom purple filling: Use 1 teaspoon raspberry extract in place of the orange extract and 1/2 teaspoon purple and 15 drops blue in place of the yellow and red food color.
Note: This recipe is courtesy of McCormick and was created using McCormick food coloring and extracts.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
