Give Your Valentine Some Whoopie

For Valentine's Day, we made Dr. S and Mr. J some red velvet whoopie pies.  Smooth vanilla cream cheese filling sandwiched between two fluffy chocolate-y cake-like cookies...this scrumptious treat screams "I love you!" 

Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Recipe
(adapted from this recipe)
 

Ingredients
Cookies:
1 ounce semisweet or milk chocolate (or a combination of the two), chopped
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar (we used regular white vinegar, but you can use apple cider vinegar too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking bowder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (or you can use a silicone mat).

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power in 1 minute intervals, until melted.  Stir often and whisk until smooth.

Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring in a bowl until combined.  In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, mixing each batch completely before adding the next.  Stir in the melted chocolate.

Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger.  Bake until cookies spring back when lightly pressed, about 8-10 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth.  Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla seeds.

Sandwich a heaping tablespoonful of filling between 2 cookies.  Try not to eat all whoopie pies in one sitting.