Soon after my diagnosis I found myself with a bunch of over-ripe bananas. Normally I’d make a banana bread, but I wasn’t feeling sure-footed enough to jump on the bread bandwagon yet, regardless if it was a quick bread.
In my search for something to use up my bananas, I came across a recipe for Banana Whoopie Pies that sounded intriguing. Was I ready to completely bypass making a quick bread and go for something even more terrifying? Cookies? What better way to get my kitchen in gear than to make a monumental mess and reward myself at the end with some awesome cookies?
I shared these with a few people who couldn’t believe they were gluten free… I was pretty impressed myself. The recipe makes approximately 20 whoopie pies (40 cookies sandwiched together with the most amazing peanut butter frosting). Do yourself a favor and hide them from your honey, I have it under good authority that of those 20 whoopie pies… he’ll eat 16.
Banana Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Cream Filling
A Delta Whiskey recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart2/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup sweet white sorghum flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Cream Filling
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Approximately 2 tablespoons heavy creamPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk for about 90 seconds.*
Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium-high until pale, thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add half of the banana mixture, then half of the flour mixture, then repeat with remaining banana and flour.
Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough on the parchment lined sheets, spacing about an inch and half apart. The spacing is actually important on these, they tend to spread and flatten while baking.
Bake for 12-14 minutes until a finger gently pressed in the center bounces back. It has been my experience that gluten-free flours don’t tend to brown as well as all purpose flour. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before sandwiching.
For the filling:
In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar until blended and smooth, adding heavy cream by the teaspoon until the frosting is smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large tip.Once the cookies are cooled, pipe a good amount of the peanut butter frosting on the bottom of a cookie. Starting in the center of the cookie, pipe the frosting in an outward circle, making sure to get the frosting to the edge of the cookie. Sandwich another cookie bottom on top of the frosting.
*I’m neurotic about the flours being mixed properly. The experts say to make sure they are blended really well, so I set the kitchen timer for 90 seconds and whisk, whisk, whisk.
