More Whoopie Pie information

Today I am going to try something new to hopefully enhance my Whoopie Pie reputation.


In the South they have a drink called the Arnold Palmer after the famous golfer. If you order it they bring you 1/2 glass of sweet tea and 1/2 glass of lemonade, you mix them together and enjoy on a hot summer afteroon. I have made these as cupcakes and they are delicious (thanks, Paula Deen), but I wanted to take it one step further. I am going to take a Yellow Cake Mix and change it up to make Arnold Palmer Whoopie Pies.


Here is my experiment.

1 Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Tea Infused Milk (heat milk just to boiling point, steep 4 tea bags until milk cools) Do this first so milk has time to cool completely!(reserve 1/4 cup of tea infused milk for filling)
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

Put Mix, eggs, oil and slowly add 1/2 to 3/4 Cup infused milk into mixer and mix until well blended. You want your batter to be a thick consistency, don't make it too thin!

Prepare parchment paper on large cookie sheet by drawing round circles with a glass or cookie cutter to make your desired size of pies. Mini or Large, your choice.
Flip paper over so markings are on the bottom.
Fill large piping bag with batter and pipe cookies in template. (You can also drop the cookies with a spoon or small ice cream scoop if you want)

Bake at 325 for 15 minutes (or until the tops spring back when lightly touched)
Cool on a baking rack until completely cool.

Filling:

1 3 oz. package of cream cheese (room temperature is very important)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, again very important
2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted to remove lumps)
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
Reserved infused milk

Put cream cheese and butter into mixer and beat until fluffy (if they are not at room temperature they will not get fluffy like they need to, so be sure you follow this advice)
Add confectioners sugar (hint: to prevent a sugar cloud, dampen a tea towel and drape it over your mixer then start the mixer very slowly until sugar is incorporated, this will contain the cloud)
Add Lemon Zest
Add infused milk a teaspoon at a time until the filling is the consistency of toothpaste, be sure it is not too thin (if it is too thin, add more confectioner sugar until it is thicker...this does affect the flavor and makes it sweeter so be careful)
Pipe filling into the cooled cookies and top with another cookie.
Wrap and keep in a cool dry place.

You can freeze these if you wrap them individually.

I know the cupcakes I made were lucious and I am sure these will be as well., Make yourself a tall glass of Arnold Palmer tea, bust out a AP Whoopie Pie and turn on the PGA. Sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.