Super Bowl Parties: Football Whoopie Pies

Okay, here’s the treat I promised earlier in our Super Bowl Party Menu post.

Ohh, yes – Football Whoopie Pies. How can you resist!?

I really wanted to incorporate pumpkin – it’s a great fall/winter flavor that goes perfectly with my idea of football season – so I used this recipe from Bon Appétit with just a few changes: To get a darker brown color (more similar to a football) I substituted dark brown sugar instead of the golden, and sifted about ¼ cup of cocoa into the dry ingredients.

The key here is finding a mini egg shaped pan. Apparently Wilton used to make them, but now they’re discontinued. I found mine on ebay (like this one here) and there is a larger and pricier version at Bakedeco.com. You might be able to find them at your local craft or baking supply store.

Make the batter according to the recipe (and my changes) then scoop them into your well-greased pan – nearly full, with tops as smooth as you can get ‘em. 18 minutes at 350 was perfect for me, so you might want to start checking them around 16 – 18 minutes – they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean.

To fill and decorate them, cut each cake in half and gently brush off any large crumbs. Put a big dollop of crème on the bottom half (enough to scare you a little bit) then put the top on and gently push down. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – you can clean around the edge with a butter knife and make it pretty.

Use a pasty bag with a small round tip to pipe on the laces. I’m not the world’s greatest cake decorator, so I used a toothpick to fix my lines. Feel free to do the same, and don’t worry if they’re not perfect. No one will notice as they stuff it in their mouth and grab another one. Yum!

They are soft and moist, with the perfect subtle pumpkin flavor. Not too sweet, not too spicy – just right. And could they be any cuter?

Hope you enjoy!