Banana Whoopie Pies

Wow! Another school year has successfully come to an end. I was blessed with such an awesome group this year, and it was hard to let them go. On the bright side, now I will have that much more time to update my blog with delicious treats....and even more time to work them off hiking, biking, and enjoying the Colorado summer life.

We had two fabulous teachers retire this year, so before we said goodbye, we held a community celebration in their honor. It was decided to have a table full of small sweets; so that students, parents, and colleagues (new and old) could quickly snag a treat while enjoying the party. Since my sister has been begging me to try this recipe I thought it would be a great time to try it out.

Banana Whoopie Pies  from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
   
2. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.
   
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
   
4. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)
   
5. Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
   
6. Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.
   
   
   They were a hit! Got lots of compliments :)  I'm still not very fond of my whoopie pie pan. I think I could get better results the old fashion way. Next time....