Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

My husband hates red velvet.
For some strange reason, he just doesn't like it.
So when we got invited to our Small Group's Super Bowl party, 
I knew it was the perfect excuse to make red velvet something.

I was scouring Pinterest to find something new to make
and I found this recipe.
I thought it was easy enough for me to try, 
so I gave it a shot...

Ingredients:
For the cookies:

• 2 cups flour (all purpose)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp
• 1 oz red food coloring

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 

In another bowl (I used my handy, dandy Kitchen Aid), cream together the brown sugar and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition until it has been incorporated.  Repeat that step one more time, until all the buttermilk and dry ingredients are mixed in.  

Then blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (if you don't have one, use a ziplock baggie and cut one corner off).

Here's where I stopped following the rules and made my own up. :)  Surprise, surprise.

Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, pipe the batter onto the paper and fill in the heart.  (The recipe said to cut out heart shapes, and I thought that would take way too much time.)

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set.  Make sure to rotate the cookie sheet halfway through.  Allow the cookies to cool before transferring them to a wire rack.  Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Ingredients:

For the frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Using a mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid again), beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth.  Mix in the vanilla.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until it is all mixed in.  The increase the speed and beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a clean pastry bag and round tip.  Match the cookies up by shape and size.  Flipping one cookie over, pipe the frosting onto the cookie.  

Sandwich the cookies together and press.

To store, refrigerate in an air-tight container.

These turned out delicious, if I do say so myself.  They may not look beautiful, but the taste makes up for it! :)

Enjoy your weekend, friends!

Happy baking!