Cookie of the Week: Bananas Foster Whoopie Pies with Rich Caramel Filling

I. Adore. Cookies.  I love them.  ALL of them.  I cannot ever remember eating a cookie I didn’t like.  Well, I guess I’ve had cookies that weren’t baked correctly or just weren’t a great recipe (like a chocolate chip cookie recipe), but as far as different types and flavors of cookies I love them all.  I have oodles of cookie recipes in my recipe book cupboard.  Entire cookbooks devoted to cookies, recipes from magazines, recipes I’ve printed off the internet, recipes from friends.  I have tons of them.  And I want to try them all!  But, the problem I have is that when I make cookies, I EAT cookies.  And I can’t stop eating them.  Until they’re all gone.  It’s a problem that I really need to learn to overcome. 

So, in order to practice my self control I’ve decided I am going to make one new cookie recipe each week and post it here on my blog each Monday!  I will have no more than two of each cookie!  Girl Scout’s Honor!  If the recipe makes a large batch, then my friends will be having a lot of treats left on their doorsteps!  This is my plan and I am sticking to it.

And now for my first cookie recipe!

Bananas Foster Whoopie Pies with Rich Caramel Filling

Ok, So I guess they’re not technically cookies, but I had a bunch of overripe bananas and I had bought a Whoopie pie pan so I just really wanted to make something with those.  I had also picked up a bag of caramel bits (the ones you can use to make caramel apples without unwrapping caramel candies) and wanted to see how they would work stirred into a batter.  So, I came up with these:

(recipe below the break)

 

They are yummy.  The cake part is very tasty, rather muffin-like.  The filling is VERY sweet, so if you don’t like sweet frosting I would just fill these with some thick whipped cream.

I wanted to use up the rest of the caramel bits so I melted them and added them to the filling.  I probably wouldn’t go that route again, but would buy some caramel syrup/ice cream topping to add to the filling.  The melted caramels made this filling very dense and sweet.  Try it and let me know what you think.

Bananas Foster Whoopie Pies with Rich Caramel Filling

Cake ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 small (6-7”) bananas, mashed
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits

Filling ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup Kraft caramel bits
• 3 Tablespoons cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 jar marshmallow crème

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a Whoopie pie pan or baking sheet well with cooking spray.
2. Make the Whoopie pies by creaming together the butter and brown sugar.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and rum extracts and mix until fluffy.
4. Mix in the mashed bananas
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk.
6. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/2 of the milk, combining completely after each addition.
7. Add another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the milk, and then the last third of the dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.
8. Stir in the caramel bits.
9. Place about 3 Tablespoons of batter in each Whoopie pie cup.  If you don’t have a Whoopie pie of muffin top pan, just place the batter on a cookie sheet.  You will only be able to cook about 6 at a time this way and the batter will spread more.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops spring back gently when poked.
11. Remove from oven, cool 3 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack.  I need to use a small frosting spatula to carefully lift them.  The caramel bits can be a little sticky.
12. Make the filling but creaming together the butter and shortening.
13. Add the vanilla and 2 Tablespoons cream.
14. Add the powdered sugar.
15. Melt the rest of the caramel bits (1 cup) with the last Tablespoon cream in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until bits are melted and mixture is combined.
16. Add to powdered sugar mixture, mixing well.
17. Allow to cool for 30 minutes
18. Add one jar of marshmallow crème. Whip until combined.
19. Sandwich about 3-4 tablespoons of filling between two Whoopie pies.