Almond Whoopie Pies

Preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Melt your butter using your preferred method via microwave or on the stove with a pot of water and heat-proof bowl. I prefer the microwave because its faster and requires fewer dishes. Place the sugar in a large bowl. Once the butter is melted, get it in the bowl and whisk it up with the sugar. Wait for it to cool a bit – enough to get it to room temperature so the eggs don’t start to cook. Add in the extracts and whisk in the eggs one at a time.

With a sifter, add in the flour, soda, powder, and salt. Slowly whisk these in and add in the milk halfway through. Whisk it until it is just combined. With two spoons, scoop out mounds of batter onto the prepared sheet, making sure to keep the mound in tact. Bake for about 10-13 minutes at 375. For me, they were a little over-baked at 13 minutes, so I recommend starting at 10 and working your way up, depending on your oven and cookie sheet. Set on a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, whip the butter until it’s lightened in color and has started to fluff up. Add in the extract and whip again, scraping down the edges of the bowl as you go. Add in the sugar one cup at a time and slowly work up the speed to keep the sugar in the bowl. Add in the milk as and when you need it. Once the cookies are cooled, find the ones that are matching in size to form your whoopie pies. Spread the frosting on one cookie per pair, either with a piping bag or frosting spatula. If you want to add in a fruit jam or sauce, make sure to leave a crater fill. Place the other cookie flat-side down. Repeat until you run out of pairs.