I can’t say that Whoopie Pies were commonplace in our household when I was growing up, but I do remember my mom making them on occasion. What I remember most is that she made them in the summer and froze them. They would then become a nice, cool treat for me and my brother. They’d last a long time as they were rock solid, when frozen, and we’d have to kind of scrape away at them with our molars until they thawed enough to really bite into.

For those of you unfamiliar with whoopie pies, they are a snack consisting of 2 very large, cake-like, chocolate “cookies” with a sweet, white filling sandwiched in between. They were, originally, a treat of the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch but in the early part of the 20th century they found their way to New England where they have also become very popular, especially in Maine. While chocolate is the traditional flavor for the “cookies,” bakeries are now producing whoopie pies in all manner of flavors, of which pumpkin is probably the most favored seasonal rendition, after chocolate.

Whoopie Pies are not your “dainty” little snack, nor are they for the weak of heart, considering the hefty amount of vegetable shortening in the filling. It is said that a whoopie pie should be approximately the size of a hamburger, bun and all. Enough to feed 3 women or 1 growing boy.

I was thrilled the other day, when my wife said she wanted to make whoopie pies. Visions of my childhood flooded back and I couldn’t wait for them to get done. Neither could our daughter, who quickly swiped the paddle from the stand mixer and claimed it for herself.

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Halloween is only a few days away and I am excited!!!! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and now even more so since my daughter was born on Halloween. Our day will be booked solid with her birthday party in the morning and afternoon and trick or treating in the evening. Of course, party preparations started weeks ago as we finally cleaned and organized the garage, but last night was the start of the fun. It was pumpkin carving night. I only did 2 this year, while the wife carved one. Not as many as in some past years, but I still have time if I feel like carving a couple more. One of the benefits of carving pumpkins is the seeds. I really enjoy toasted pumpkin seeds. The problem is that I usually over do, snacking on them so by the end of Halloween I’ve seen enough pumpkin seeds until the following year.

I usually just make the regular, salted variety of pumpkin seeds but this year I wanted to spice it up a bit so I made three different flavors. Besides the regular pumpkin seeds I also made a Harissa inspired one, spiced with chile, coriander, caraway, garlic and cumin, and a Sweet, Smoky Asian one scented with Chinese 5 spice and chipotle pepper.

Over the years, one key I have learned to making good pumpkin seeds is a slow oven. I like to bake mine for almost an hour at about 275F. I think that it makes for a crisper seed that is less tough (an important consideration if using larger pumpkins with bigger seeds).

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Preheat the oven to 275F. Clean all the pulp from around the pumpkin seeds, removing all the strings. Rinse and blot dry with a towel. In a bowl drizzle the oil over the pumpkins and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the salt while tossing the seeds, making sure the salt is evenly distributed. Spread seeds out, in a single layer, on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Stir the pumpkins seeds and bake another 20 minutes. Stir again and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Seeds should be crispy and just lightly browned. If not done place in oven for 10 more minutes.

Harissa Accented Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 tsp. Coriander seed
1/2 tsp. Caraway seed
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (depending on how hot you like things)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

Grind the coriander and caraway seeds in a mortar or electric grinder. Add all other seasonings. Toss pumpkin seeds with oil then with spice mixture. Place on a cookie tray and bake like the Toasted Pumpkin Seeds above. (continue reading…)

It has been about 1 1/2 months since I wrote about my dismal macaroon failure here. In that time I have done considerable research on making French Macaroons and have finally tried my hand at them again. As you can see by the above picture, they aren’t perfect yet, but I am a lot closer to creating something I am happy with. I think I have the recipe pretty well conquered, now I just have to my piping techniques. The macaroons turned out shatteringly crisp on the outside and still chewy on the inside but they were too tall and not quite smooth on top. I think just a little adjustment to my piping technique and I will be set.

I was amazed, while doing my research, at the large variations in the recipes for French Macaroons. There are a lot of bad recipes out there, and not just on the internet, but in cookbooks also. I was also amazed by the number or recipes that claimed to be based off of the recipe from Laduree, the name in Parisian bakeries specializing in macaroons. With such a wide swing in baking techniques, meringue making techniques, and in the duration to let the macaroons sit before baking, someone (or better yet someones) is lying. The recipe below is one I came up with based on my research and on my experiences last time.

French Macaroons

1 cup Almond flour
1 1/4 cup Confectioner’s Sugar
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Water
3 each Egg Whites, room temperature
Pinch Salt

Combine the granulated sugar and water in a sauce pot, bring to a boil and cook to soft ball stage (240-242 degrees). Meanwhile, in an electric mixer whip 2 of the egg whites and the pinch of salt to stiff peaks. When sugar has reached soft ball stage remove from heat and, with the mixer going, add the sugar, to the egg whites, in a slow steady stream and continue to beat to stiff peaks again. In another large bowl combine almond flour and confectioner’s sugar. Add remaining egg white and mix together to form a stiff paste. Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the almond mixture and stir to combine and lighten. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites and well combined.

Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch pastry tip and pipe onto cookie trays into 1 1/2 inch circles. Allow macaroons to sit for 30-40 minutes to allow a skin to form over the mounds of meringue. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325 degrees. With the door of the oven left open a crack bake the macaroons for 12 minutes. Spin and rotate the trays and bake another 12, again with the oven door slightly ajar. Remove from oven and allow to cool on trays until completely cool.

Fill with your preferred filling. I used caramel as we had some lying around waiting for me to make caramel apples with my daughter. Buttercreams, ganaches, and fruit curds all make great fillings, though just about anything can be sandwiched between the cookies. This recipe makes approximately 40 individual macaroons.

I’ve been on a bit of a Latin kick recently and the other other day I decided to try my hand at making Pupusas. Pupusas are a snack popular in El Salvador and Honduras, that can best be described as a stuffed tortilla, though that description doesn’t quite do the dish justice. Traditionally, the pupusas are stuffed with either cheese or chicharron, or a combination of the 2, though it can be filled with many different things. I chose to fill my pupusas with cheese and shredded pork that I had braised in beer and salsa.

Making pupusas is easy, perfecting them is difficult and takes lots of practice. It’s fun to watch them being made by someone who really knows what they are doing, and it’s mind blowing that they can do it so quickly without allowing any of the filling to poke through. While mine turned out well, they could have been a bit thinner, bigger and rounder, but these issues didn’t affect the taste one bit.

Pupusas are usually served with curtido, a type of cabbage slaw that adds a wonderful, fresh crunch to the dish and a nice hit of acidity to liven it up. I didn’t make any this time and was sorry I didn’t as it really adds to the dish.

Finally, if you are not familiar with Latin foods, you must seek out Masa Harina, a type of corn flour, for this dish. It has become pretty common in most supermarkets nowadays as our Latino population continues to grow. Regular corn flour or corn meal is not an acceptable substitute as it doesn’t have the same flavor and doesn’t seem to hold together the way masa harina.

Pupusas

Filling:
1 pound Pork Stew meat, cubed
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
6 oz. Beer
1/4 cup Salsa (homemade is preferable)
1/4 cup Ketchup

Dough:
2 cups Masa Harina
1 cup Water

Cheese (A good Queso Blanco if you can find it, if not then use Monterey Jack)

Heat a skillet over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot add pork, season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Add beer, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. Add salsa and ketchup. Cover again and cook until pork is tender, approximately 20 minutes more. Uncover, and mash the pork with a spoon or whip to shred it. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once pork is cool make the dough by combining the water and the masa harina. Allow to sit for 8-10 minutes to allow the dough to fully hydrate. Divide into 8 portions. Pat each portion into a circle approximately 6 inches in diameter. Take 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the filling and 1 Tbsp. of the cheese and place it in the center of the dough circle. Bring the dough up around the filling, completely encasing the filling and sealing any cracks. Using your hands press the filled ball into a 6 inch circle again. It should be just under 1/4 inch thick. This takes practice to get them perfect, but is pretty easy to make a passable product. Heat a skillet (cast iron works the best) over medium high heat and cook, without adding any oil, for approximately 4-5 minutes minutes on each side. Serve immediately as these are best when hot and still crispy on the outside. Garnish with curtido or with a salsa of your choice.

Curtido

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
4 cups Water, boiling
2 small carrots, grated
1 small onion, sliced
1 each Jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water

Pour boiling water over cabbage and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Drain off water and squeeze most of the water out of the cabbage. Combine with all the other ingredients and stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours before serving.