Making whoopie in Rockland: Fiore shares its Pies on Parade recipes

Since the whoopie pie is being considered as the official Maine dessert, I figured I’d best share a whoopie pie recipe. Of course,  not just any whoopie pie, not even traditional one. I sampled these delicious mini-whoopies at Fiore Rockland during the annual Pies on Parade event. Now—truth to tell—I’m not big on traditional whoopie pies, but these, well, I was smitten!

Fiore served two different types of mini-whoopies, meyer lemon and blood orange. Each was made as an olive oil cake sandwiched with a butter frosting.

FIORE Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake (& Mini-Whoopies)
Serves:  8 to 10

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3  cup Fiore Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T finely grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350- butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick and pale yellow.

Continue beating and slowly add sugar in a steady stream. When the sugar is fully incorporated, add oil in a slow, steady stream, then add lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold dry ingredients into egg mixture, being careful not to over mix.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown and cake springs back to the touch.

Makes approx. 26 “Fiorettes” (mini-whoopie pies) – drop ½ tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup in a mini-muffin pan.  Bake very briefly until springy to the touch.

FIORETTES Frosting
1-1/2 cup butter, softened
4-1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbls whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until smooth; generously frost bottom of whoopie pie, then place top on!  You will enjoy!

FIORE Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake (& Mini-Whoopies)
Serves:  8 to 10

3 blood oranges
1 cup sugar
Buttermilk or plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Fiore Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 of the oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.

Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/4 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.

Bake cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.  Time: 1 hour 20 minutes plus cooling

Makes approx. 26 “Fiorettes” (mini-whoopie pies)  – drop ½ tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup in a mini-muffin pan.  Bake very briefly until springy to the touch.  Top with FIORETTE’s Frosting recipe above!

HINT: “Many people dipped their whoopie pies in balsamic vinegar — chocolate balsamic, blueberry balsamic, strawberry balsamic, vanilla balsamic – you name it……….the list goes on!  And they loved it!  Try it yourself.”