When my older daughter was married, the big event took place in Maine – a state of special significance for the newlyweds, as they’d met there, and for our family, as it is where three generations have enjoyed our summer cottage. So what better iconic treat to include in our out-of-town guests’ welcome bags than a Whoopie Pie, the “Official State Snack” of Maine?

A whoopie “pie” is actually two soft dark chocolate cookie-cakes sandwiched together with fluffy white filling. We considered going the easy route, ordering dozens from the best local commercial producer. But, after reading their ingredient list, we decided homemade would be best.

Whoopies are a treat we indulge in only occasionally, as they are a rich, sweet pastry. I had found an authentic recipe from an old old Gourmet Magazine with readers’ tips and reviews in its online archives. Many reviewers had pointed out that the original filling was messy and had a tendency to deflate. However, in the comments section was an old-fashioned filling (from a reader in Maine) which was less cloyingly sweet and more stable, owing to its cooked cream base.

Photo credit: Eva Baughman

Photo credit: Eva Baughman

I planned to make small batches over three or four days, freezing the cookie pieces and the filling separately. We first prepared samples to test their flavor, freshness and appearance after three days at room temperature, to ensure they would taste good eaten any day of the long wedding weekend. They were excellent in every way. The day our guests were to arrive at their hotels, we sandwiched the cookies and bagged them in food-safe cellophane bags decorated with a custom sticker (ordered on Etsy) and tied with a bow. Our guests were very happy with their authentic Maine snacks and impressed that we had baked for them.

When we reunited with our daughter at the end of the summer, the last Whoopies were defrosted and filled to make a sweet memory of her special day.