I went to a luncheon this week to meet the latest new editor at a magazine I contribute too.  It was so much fun to put faces/voices/personalities to people I’ve been in contact with for over 3 years.  

They handed out the latest issue and there it was-red velvet whoopee pies in the food column written by the owner of the local and popular Luci’s Healthy Marketplace and Café!

Steve saw it and asked me to whip up a batch.  That was Tuesday.  Knowing how much Aidan enjoys cooking and baking, I waited until the next day and had him help put the whole thing together.

Of course-Luci’s recipe was dairy based so I had to make some dietary/allergan changes, the results were still very tasty and rich!  Plus, I have enough leftover cream cheese filling to last me a lifetime.

Here’s the revised recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 C butter-flavored shortening
1 C sugar
2 lg eggs
1/2 C non-dairy sour cream
1 tbsp. red food coloring
1-1/2 tsps. white vinegar
1 tsp real vanilla
2-1/4 C AP
1/4 C cocoa
2 tsp. powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
2 oz melted, cooled semi-sweet chocolate

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese substitute
1/2 C butter flavored shortening
2-1/2 C conf. sugar
2 tsps. vanilla

Preheat oven 375.  Prepare 2-3 sheet pans with parchment paper and grease well.

In a large bowl, cream shortening/sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream, coloring, vinegar and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together so that it has a uniform color.  Stir into beaten mixture and then stir in the cooled chocolate.

Drop dough onto prepared sheets using a 2 tbsp. scoop, 2” apart and smoosh down a bit. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are set.  Cool on pans 2 minutes and then remove and cool on wire racks.

For filling-cream cheese, shortening until fluffy.  Beat in sugar and vanilla.  

When cookies are cool, spread filling on one and top with another.  I made 18 whoopee pies.  Feel free to decorate with chocolate drizzles.  These are VERY rich.  Hubby thought he could eat two and found that one with a cup of coffee did him in.  You’ve been warned.