Beet Whoopie Pies
Fudgy chocolate whoopie pies with a secret beetroot jam heart and cream cheese filling - worth every one of the 60 minutes.
Serves: 6 (makes about 2/3 cup)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the jam
1 large beetroot, leaves trimmed and skin on
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
For the filling
1 cup (230g) cream cheese
1/2 cup (60g) icing sugar
For the pies
1/2 cup (125g) cold unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1 cup (220g) firmly packed soft brown sugar
1 large cold egg
1 1/2 cups (220g) plain flour
1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of fine salt
1 1/2 cups (225g) dark chocolate, chopped, and/or choc chips, or a mix of dark and milk chocolate
METHOD
Steam the beetroot for 20-30 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife.
Allow the beetroot to cool, then peel and blitz it in a food processor.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1/2 cup (125ml) of the beetroot puree and the caster sugar. Stir and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture reduces by half. Remove from the heat and cool. This yields 1/4 cup (60ml) of beetroot jam. Set aside. You can make this ahead by a week. Any leftovers are delicious eaten as jam or as you would pickled beetroot
For the filling, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high for 3 minutes until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.
For the pies, cream the butter and brown sugar in the stand mixer on low for 8 minutes, until pale and creamy.
Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, salt and half of the beetroot jam. Beat on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms, around 5 minutes.
Gently stir in the chunks of chocolate by hand.
Divide the dough into six pieces, around 150g each. Split each piece into two-thirds for the base and one-third for the top.
Mould each base into an 11cm patty with a slight indent in the centre to hold the cream cheese and jam. Mould the top pieces into slightly smaller 9.5cm lids.
Pipe 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the centre of each base and add 1 teaspoon of beetroot jam on top. Seal the whoopie pies by placing the lids on and pressing the sides to enclose the filling.
Place the assembled whoopie pies on a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C conventional.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before indulging. Be cautious of the hot filling!
HINTS
The freeze before baking is not optional - it keeps the filling sealed inside rather than erupting across your tray.
Any leftover beetroot jam is brilliant on toast with the leftover cream cheese filling - breakfast, sorted.
Weigh the dough pieces if you can - even portions mean the lids and bases actually match up.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 21800kJ (5210 calories)
Protein: 60g
Fat: 270g
Saturated fat: 160g
Carbohydrates: 620g
Sugars: 450g
Fibre: 30g
Sodium: 900mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.