A few years ago I started making pumpkin whoopie pies to bring to work for various gatherings we have around the holidays. They became instant hits. I think they’re the most popular food item I’ve ever made. I agree, they’re delicious. My husband wishes that I’d make them more to keep at home than to give away to others, cause I usually only make them when I have to bring them somewhere. I use this recipe by Silvana Nardone and Christina Stanley-Salerno, which appeared in an issue of “Everyday by Rachael Ray.” (For those who don’t know, whoopie pies consist of two cake-like cookies, with cream filling sandwiched in between. It looks like a huge oreo cookie if you’re making the chocolate variety.)

It appears that the whoopie pie has become a popular item as of late. One of my friends at work sent me a link to an article about whoopie pies in the “New York Times.” It got me thinking: where did these come from? who made the first one and how did they come up with it?

Being the research maven that I am, I decided to do some digging to see what I could find. According to wikipedia, the whoopie pie is considered to be a New England treat, possibly with Amish origins from Pennsylvania. I then linked to a site about its history, with similar information, mentioning that it’s a popular item in Maine. The site says that the Amish from Lancaster County, PA used to make these, most likely using leftover batter from other baked goods, and children would shout “Whoopie” if they found them in their lunches, explaining their name.

The article suggested that an early recipe could be found in the “Yummy Book” by the Durkee Mower Company, who made Marshmallow Fluff. You can download a pdf of this book from the Marshmallow Fluff site.

So with all this research, I’ve traced it back to 1930. But I’m sure the whoopie pie is much older than this.

I am still on the hunt for the oldest known printing of the whoopie pie recipe. I’ll let you know if I come across anything. Also, I’m in the process of creating a coffee whoopie pie that has espresso-flavored filling. Not sure how it would turn out but it sounds good.