Banana-Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I have a strange relationship with peanut butter. I love buckeyes and Reese’s cups, but don’t like peanut butter cookies or peanut butter sandwiches. But I decided to try this recipe I found at Abby Sweets because I’m kinda into sandwich cookies right now and I had bananas and yogurt that needed to be used. The cookie is a soft, cakey banana cookie with a creamy peanut butter filling. I thought it tasted like a soft banana peanut butter sandwich topped with chocolate. Although it wasn’t for me, Alex loved them and has eaten quite a few before I steal the rest with some other cookies to give away in Halloween treat plates tonight. Boo!

Banana-Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. mashed banana
1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together banana and yogurt. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and both sugars completely, ten add egg and beat until just combined. Add vanilla.

Alternately mix flour and banana mixture into creamed butter until just combined, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scoop mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch tip (or you can scoop it onto cookie sheet).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe batter into 1 1/4 inch rounds. Bake in oven just until the edges are slightly golden brown--you want the resulting cake to be soft and moist, not crispy. About 10-12 minutes. Transfer parchment to cooling rack and cool completely.

For the filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

In a medium bowl, use and electric mixer to beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, vanilla and peanut butter and mix until combined. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag with the end cut off.Pipe filling onto the flat side of half of the cakes and then top with the other half of the cakes. Drizzle with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate glaze:
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T. butter
1 T. corn syrup

Melt all ingredients in double boiler, or a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Mix until smooth. Do not over heat, or it will become grainy. Drizzle over whoopie pies.