Salted Caramel and Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pies

Does the food fury of March Madness have the threads on your pants stretched thin? Seriously, I want to know who can down a pint of beer with power grub like the MegaHo Burger without becoming completely dismantled like Pittsburgh in the dizzying game end with Butler.  For those who can, I bow to your prowess.

For the rest of us, let’s switch gears and go for a 3-in-1. Say hello to pacing yourself through the Sweet 16 with a March Madness power food: Salted Caramel and Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pie.

A little bit salty, a little bit sweet and whole lotta stout.  Grab your savory in half the flavor of the salted caramel buttercream and the sweet in the other half, take that and wash it down between two chocolate whoopie cakes shot up with some beer and…yeah, now any of us can man up and have a March Madness power grub.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pie

Makes 24-30 11/2 inch Whoopie Pies

Preparation: Line to bake sheets with parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pies:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• ½ cup stout beer, such as Guinness
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup milk

Instructions:

1. Place baking soda in sour cream and whisk to combine; set aside. Sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, espresso powder and baking powder; set aside. In another bowl combine egg, beer and vanilla; set aside.

2. Place sugar and butter in a bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and beer mixture and mix to combine.

3. Add milk to sour cream mixture and mix to combine. Starting with the flour mixture and ending with the milk and sour cream mixture, add mixtures to the batter in 3 additions. Mix to until just combined after each addition.

4. Place finished batter in a pastry bag with fitted with a round tip and pipe 1 ¼ inch drop of batter spaced 1 inch apart. Use the back of a spoon to flatten peaks (see photo below). Bake one sheet at a time at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cakes cool on the bake sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup of caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Place butter and vanilla in a bowl and beat on high until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Turn mixer speed down to medium and add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Beat until combined. Add in caramel sauce and beat until combined.

Caramel Sauce:

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons of heavy cream

½ teaspoons of kosher salt

Instructions:

Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Add salt and stir to combine.

Assembly:

Fill pastry bag with buttercream or using a spoon place 1 teaspoon of the buttercream on whoopie cake and place the second whoopie pie cake on top.