holy crap it's been over a year since I've written something!

First the obligatory mea culpas-I needed the sleep, I went to Minneapolis for my former housemate's wedding, and then I went to Hawaii. Right, the last one elicits no sympathy for me, I know. However, I did manage to snag quite a few great spices and some Alaea red sea salt; which is important because I plan on trying to make kalua style roast pork at some point. And will of course, post the recipe for the 5 people that still read this blog :) But this post is about what I made yesterday! Leslie has been adding eggs back in to her diet, so I thought we should celebrate with homemade marshmallow cream and whoopie pie!! Babycakes Covers the Classics has a chocolate whoopie pie recipe and this was the time to break it out! The cookbook suggests ricemellow creme, which is fantastic substitute for marshmallow creme if you can have soy. Alas, we can not, so adding eggs back into her diet is certainly a reason to celebrate :) There is also a new spice shop Savory that opened up near my work-they have everything from wood smoked salt to grains of paradise! They also have a fantastic baking aisle that had the black cocoa powder! I couldn't wait to try it. I did change the recipe up a little bit-I have always been taught to bloom cocoa, so I added in some hot coffee (cause who doesn't love chocolate and coffee, eh?)and changed up the flour quantities as well as some of the process. And I'm not posting a marshmallow creme recipe, because it basically is an Italian meringue with corn syrup for fluffiness and I use Wayne Harley Brachman's off the Food Network's website at any rate. If you can't do eggs or sugar, the Babycakes cookbook also has an agave nectar vegan frosting that is to die for and tastes spectacular in these as well.

This is also shared with Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Whoopie Pie
1 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill AP gf baking flour
 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (when using the black onyx cocoa use 1/4 cup of it, and 1/4 cup of standard cocoa)
 1/4 cup potato starch
 1/4 cup tapioca starch
 1/2 cup HOT coffee (or water. or other liquid to bloom the cocoa)
 1/4 cup arrowroot
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 cup melted coconut oil (I use spectrum, babycakes uses omega nutrition)
 2/3 cup agave nectar
 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, warmed
 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
 In a medium bowl whisk all the dry ingredients EXCEPT THE COCOA and set aside.

 In a medium bowl whisk the cocoa(s) with the hot coffee til all is smooth & smelling good. Add the agave nectar and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add in the warmed applesauce (if it is cold, it will start to solidify the coconut oil you've melted, in little chunks. no bueno) and whisk to combine. Add in the melted coconut oil (now babycakes cookbooks use the dry measuring cups for measuring everything-so for this recipe measure out the 1 cup of melted coconut oil in a dry measuring cup)and whisk to combine. Now start adding in the dry ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

 Drop the dough by the spoonful onto prepared baking sheet (I use a small ice cream scoop, but feel free to use a regular spoon), spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten each pie to help it spread.
Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and continue baking til the pies are firm to the touch and toothpick comes clean, about 7 minutes more. Cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet on cooling rack.
 Spread filling of your choice in the middle and let the happiness begin :)
Makes 18 whoopie pies.