Interview & Recipe from Amy Bouchard of Wicked Whoopies

The Hill Team is going to be attending the 3rd Annual Harvest on the Harbor, Portland, ME, October 21-23, 2010. We wanted to bring you some information on what is going to be happening. I hope to be starting with the least likely of your expectations–Makin’ Whoopies. Plus, Amy is sharing her recipe for Mocha Whoopies with us.

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Amy Bouchard of Wicked Whoopies. She will be making a signature whoopie pie at the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and will be exhibiting at Saturday’s Marketplace.

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I never experienced these until I lived in New England. They are an Amish as well as a Maine tradition. Amy’s are strictly Maine with a twist. She likes to get creative.

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Starting in her kitchen, her company makes 7,000 to 10,000 Wicked Whoopie Pies a day. It takes about an hour to make a Whoopie Pie. Amy can turn out about 780 in the same amount of time. How are her pies different? She likes to experiment. While most have stuck to the traditional, Amy put her creativity into her pies and try peanut butter, chocolate chip, lemon, maple, and banana cream, as well as whatever else she thinks would work.

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In our brief interview, here are some of Amy’s comments:

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Maralyn: What is your favorite recipe?

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Amy: My favorite recipe is for my classic whoopie pies because it is the whoopie pie recipe I started my business with over 16 years ago. I have fond memories eating whoopie pies as a child and love the fact I am creating a fun food every day that brings back childhood memories to others because they make you feel like a kid again when you eat them.

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Maralyn: Do you have a favorite ingredient?

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Amy: My favorite ingredient is CHOCOLATE. There are so many different varieties from 100% unsweetened to milk chocolate. I love to experiment by blending varieties of chocolate in cakes, cookies, and most of all whoopies. It is not likely for a mistake to be made because at the end of the day it’s still CHOCOLATE.

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Maralyn: What is your favorite baking utensil?

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Amy: My favorite baking utensil is an ice cream scoop. I should have one dipped in gold… that is how much I love my scoop. An ice cream scoop helped me build my whoopie pie business. I remember 16 years ago people would ask me “How do you get your whoopie pies so round?” I felt so automated with my ice cream scoop.

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Maralyn: Do you have any tips for future bakers?

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Amy: The tips I would have for someone desiring to become a baker is to open up an old baking book (I just love old recipes), pick out some recipes that interest you, and put your own twist on it. If you are happy with it and friends ask for seconds, you are a wicked baker!

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There are many recipes for Whoopie Pies on the internet. But I’m anxious to taste Amy’s when we go to Harvest on the Harbor. It is great she was willing to share one.

Amy Bouchard’s Mocha Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour or 3 1/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup warm milk
5 heaping tablespoons instant coffee
4 egg whites

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together ( except coffee ), then add the shortening and vanilla until well blended. Warm milk in microwave or on top of stove then stir in coffee to warm milk. (You only want the milk to be warm, not hot.) Add 3/4 of the milk, mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the milk and egg whites until well blended, then mix on medium speed for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.

Scoop rounded spoonfuls of batter onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheet spaced at least two inches apart. Bake for 9-13 minutes depending on size.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup cocoa ( you may want to add more )
4 tablespoons flour
6 – 8 oz. marshmallow Fluff
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons milk or water ( you may need to add more )

Mix all indredients together on medium to high speed until fluffy, ( 5-10 minutes )
Scoop rounded spoonfuls between two cooled whoopie shells. Individually wrap each in wax paper, cellophane, plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

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You can learn more about Amy Bouchard at Wicked Whoopies.

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For more about Harvest on the Harbor. I hope to see you there.

Watch for more about the chefs participating in Harvest on the Harbor.