Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
2 c. flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp in salted butter..room temp
1 c. light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 oz red food coloring

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter..room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
2.5 c. confectioner sugar (sifted)

I planned on making these later in the week, but the blizzard of 2013 changed my plans. I have been going stir crazy. We were lucky because we never lost power or heat. My family was without power for 24 hours and we were counting our blessings.  I decided to make these for two reasons, red velvet is my weakness and I love Valentine's Day. Who am I kidding?  I love February because I celebrate my birthday all month.  I decided to make these for Mike to bring to work.  These were time consuming but I needed a break from playdoh, puzzles, stamps, sledding and playing trains.

Preheat the oven to 375

Trace a heart cookie cutter on a piece of parchment paper. 

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add the egg and mix.  Blend in the vanilla.  Put the mixer on low and add a third of the dry mix, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk.  Repeat until the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients.  Blend in the food coloring.  I added a little more than an ounce.  Everything I touched left a red fingerprint but it was worth it. 

Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag.  The recipe called for a rounded tip, but I couldn't find one.  I used a swirl top and smoothed out the hearts before adding them to the oven.  Use the pastry bag and make a heart shape inside the traced heart. 

Bake for 7-9 minutes and rotate halfway between the baking.  Let the hearts cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. 

As the hearts are cooling, make the filling.  Cream the cream cheese and butter together, then add the vanilla.  Gradually add the sugar slowly to the mix.  Place the filling into a pastry bag. 

Pair the cookies up by shape and size.  Flip one of the cookies and pipe the frosting.  Sandwich the cookies together and press gently.  Place in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  Yum! 

Nolan enjoyed a whoopie pie for dessert.