Let’s Make Whoopie!

By awright0511

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
• scant 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum)
• 1 extra-large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk (low-fat is fine, nonfat is not; nondairy is fine)
• Frosting/filling of Choice

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine, working out the lumps in the brown sugar as best you can. Add the butter and shortening, and mix with a fork until crumbly and lumpy, but in an even sorta way. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix to combine. Add the milk, and beat until uniformly smooth. Continue to beat until the batter becomes thicker and a bit more elastic.
Onto the prepared baking sheets, either pipe batter in rounds about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, or spoon about as much batter (a bit less than 1 tablespoon of batter) at least an inch apart. They will spread a bit while baking. Piping the batter will result in a pretty even, round shaped cookie. Spooning the batter … not so much, but no biggie. Good enough is {let’s say it together} … good enough.
Place one baking sheet at a time into the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once during baking, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until a pie regains its shape when you press it gently in the center.
Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. When removing the cakes from the parchment paper, it is best to peel away the parchment paper from the back of the cake, rather than attempting to lift the cake right off the paper. Trust me. The cookies are tacky on the outside, kinda like Devil Dogs, and they’re meant to be like that. Part of their charm.
Once the cookies are completely cool, buddy up the cookies that appear the most like one another {it’s fun! it’s a memory game!}, add about a tablespoon of filling {either with a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or with a spoon or knife}, and close. Serve chilled or at room temperature.