How to make whoopie pies

Whoopie pies. They're the latest craze. But don't let the name fool you, this sandwich-like confection of American origin (legend has it that Amish women would pack them in farmers' lunches, who, when opening their lunch boxes to discover the treat would exclaim, 'whoopie!') is not a pie at all, but rather an icing-filled cross between a cake and a cookie. Gracing the shelves of many a bakery, the whoopie pie appears in a variety of flavours from the classic chocolate to twists such as pumpkin or peanut butter, and can range from a bite-size treat to a small cake.

I've indulged in all kinds of tasty bakery-purchased sweets, but making comparable creations at home is often a different story. Lucky for me, my sweets-loving photographer-friend and I (a definite whoopie pie enthusiast) were recently invited to participate in the Cake Pops and Whoopie Pies course at the Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts, a place where alumni have moved on to found local shops such as Bobbette & Belle, Cake Opera Co. and For The Love of Cake. Needless to say, we were very excited to try our hands as pastry students at this small arts college.

Curious to see if we could make good whoopie pies ourselves, we put on our aprons and joined this full-day class dedicated to learning how to make these trendy treats from start to finish. With the help of our experienced instructor, Marisa, a Red Seal Chef who found her focus in pastry arts and cake design, we made some impressively delicious sweets.

Editor's Note: This post originally included a recipe for how to make whoopie pies. At the request of the Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts, the recipe has been removed due to copyright issues. To learn how to make this recipe you can register for the Cake Pop & Whoopie Pie class at the Bonnie Gordon College. For a schedule of this and other classes, please check their web site here.

Photos by Taralyn Marshall