Delightful Strawberry-Lemonade Whoopie Pies with a burst of citrusy lemon and sweet strawberries. These soft and cakey cookies are sandwiched with a luscious strawberry-lemonade filling.
Ingredients: For the Cookies:. - 2 cups all-purpose flour. - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. - 1/2 teaspoon salt. - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened. - 1 cup granulated sugar. - 1 large egg. - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. - 1/2 cup buttermilk. - Zest of 1 lemon. - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. - Pink gel food coloring optional. - 1/2 cup chopped strawberries. For the Filling:. - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened. - 4 cups powdered sugar. - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. - Zest of 1 lemon. - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. - Pink gel food coloring optional. - 1/2 cup chopped strawberries.
Instructions: For the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350F 175C and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink gel food coloring if using. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. For the Filling: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth and well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink gel food coloring if using. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries. To Assemble: Match the cooled cookies in pairs of similar size. Spoon or pipe a generous amount of the strawberry-lemonade filling onto the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Top with the second cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Chill the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the filling to set. Serve and enjoy! Note: Store any leftover whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Harshad V. Kulkarni, Ph.D.
