Mini Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies

(Mini) Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pie

I wanted to make a vanilla whoopie pie that tastes just like a vanilla cupcake, and I think I did it. The cookies are about the size of a Nilla Wafer cookie, but they're soft, like a cupcake. These are super sweet due to the buttercream frosting in the middle, but that's what I was going for. If you want something less sweet, you might want to consider filling these with Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting. I think that would taste fabulous. The main reason I did buttercream in these is because they're for a friend's wedding, and the groom requested white cupcakes with buttercream. So there you go. I'm hoping these work, but I figure I'm safe because it was the groom's request, not the bride's. Plus she's such an awesome person, he'll just be happy to be marrying her that day. Right?
At any rate, this is a solid vanilla cake tasting whoopie pie. Very sweet. Very vanilla. Very tasty.
The recipe directly below is a half recipe because I was just testing it out, and I think it makes a reasonable amount if you plan to take these to a potluck or something. I will post the full size recipe at the end of this post.

Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies (half recipe)
     --adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup milk

Frosting

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
Draw 1 1/4 inch circles, 2 inches apart, on the bottom of a piece of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the flours in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add baking powder, salt, vanilla bean paste, and almond and lemon extracts. Add the egg white and beat until incorporated. Then add the yolk and beat until incorporated. Add about 1/3 of the flour and mix until incorporated. Add 1/2 the milk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. 
Place batter in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Squeeze the batter onto the parchment paper, filling each circle (see photo below). 
Bake at 400 degrees for about 4-5 minutes--just until puffed and set. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack and allow to sit a few minutes to cool slightly. Use a spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
While the last cookies bake, start making the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and shortening. Add 1 cup of the sugar and carefully mix until combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Mix on high until creamy. Add additional powdered sugar (2 tablespoons at a time) or milk (a few drops at a time) to reach the desired consistency. Place in a piping bag, fitted with a round tip--or star tip, if that's what you prefer. 
Turn over half of the cookies so you can put the frosting in the middle. Squeeze about a tablespoon of frosting onto each turned over cookie and the top with the remaining cookies.
Makes about 28 mini whoopie pies.

You can barely see the penciled circles
on the back side of the parchment paper.

The cookie/cakes have no brown on top,
but a little bit on the bottom.

Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pies (full recipe)
     --adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 11 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2/3 cup milk

Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
Draw 1 1/4 inch circles, 2 inches apart, on the bottom of a piece of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the flours in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add baking powder, salt, vanilla bean paste, and almond and lemon extracts. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until incorporated. Add about 1/3 of the flour and mix until incorporated. Add 1/2 the milk and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. 
Place batter in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Squeeze the batter onto the parchment paper, filling each circle (see photo below). 
Bake at 400 degrees for about 4-5 minutes--just until puffed and set. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack and allow to sit a few minutes to cool slightly. Use a spatula to move the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
While the last cookies bake, start making the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and shortening. Add 2 cups of the sugar and carefully mix until combined. Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Mix on high until creamy. Add additional powdered sugar (2-3 tablespoons at a time) or milk (1/2 teaspoon at a time) to reach the desired consistency. Place in a piping bag, fitted with a round tip--or star tip, if that's what you prefer. 
Turn over half of the cookies so you can put the frosting in the middle. Squeeze about a tablespoon of frosting onto each turned over cookie and the top with the remaining cookies.
Makes about 56 mini whoopie pies.