Expanding culinary horizons

There is a magical, mystical dessert popular in New England called a Whoopee Pie.  Through the magic of Facebook, and East Coast friend introduced a Midwestern friend to this tasty treat, so I thought I would post a recipe.  The below recipe comes from my mother-in-law and is quite famous at least within family circles (and I would guess that they were popular with the neighborhood kids as well as her sons).

This little dessert is often a choice for variation on flavors of both cake and filling, but I prefer the classic.

A photograph of the actual recipe

Whoopee Pies from the kitchen of Joyce Poole

Cakes

2 3/4 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour milk

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cocoa

Add hot water to cocoa. Cream shortening and sugar. Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla to shortening and sugar mixture. Add dry ingredient mixture with milk, alternating in steps. Add cocoa paste and mix until smooth. Drop by tablespoons [on greased baking sheet]. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Filling

2 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

Cook milk and flour until smooth. Cool. It will be very thick. Cream sugar and shortening. Add milk and flour paste and whip until smooth.

Assembly instructions (not included in the recipe):  Let cakes cool.  Take one, spread with a thick layer of filling and top with a second cake.