Whoopie Pies

A whoopie pie, sometimes alternatively called a gob, is a baked good traditional to the Pennsylvania Dutch culture as well as New England, made of two small, chocolate, disk-shaped cakes with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them.

Photo of Whoopie Pies
Small, compact, durable, and convenient to carry about the person, they are popular both as a simple dessert or as a snack food. They can be purchased wrapped in plastic at Amish farmers' markets throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio and are often found in restaurants and gift shops throughout Pennsylvania Dutch Country. As one of the most common delicacies of the cuisine, recipes for whoopie pies are almost always included in Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks.
It is a mystery as to where the whoopie pie was actually developed. While many claim it first originated among the Pennsylvania Dutch, others speculate that it was first invented in a Bangor, Maine bakery from leftover cake batter. Beyond Pennsylvania, the whoopie pie is also common throughout New England and neighboring parts of Canada, and Nancy Baggett, author of "The All-American Cookie Book," proposes that the confection began as a commercial product in that region. In her book, she claims that the first commercially made whoopie pies were manufactured by the Berwick Cake Company in Dudley Square, Roxbury, Massachusetts, starting around 1927. Some speculate that they were actually introduced to Maine and the rest of New England by migrating Amish sects. Many believe that the name derives from the expression that the taste of the cookie would provoke. The ingredients found in a whoopie pie differ from recipe to recipe. The filling can range from rich, complex buttercreams or whipped creams to common Marshmallow Fluff found in stores. Many recipes call for vegetable shortening to be added, as this allows the finished whoopie pie to be stored and transported without being easily squashed or melted. Some unconventional variations include the use of pumpkin, oatmeal, or banana flavored cakes rather than chocolate and cream cheese or peanut butter instead of cream in the center. Many people familiar with the treat, however, would say that nothing can compare to the simplicity of the original chocolate version.