Lavender Whoopie Pies with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Soft lavender-infused cake cookies sandwiched with a fluffy vanilla bean buttercream frosting.
⏱️ Prep: 40 min🍳 Cook: 16 min
Ingredients
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani 2%) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | milk |
| 4 tsp | 20 ml | dried lavender flowers |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla extract |
| 2 1/4 cups | 540 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1 1/4 tsp | 6.3 ml | baking powder |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | baking soda |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | salt |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | butter, softened |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | vegetable oil |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | granulated sugar |
| 2 | large eggs | |
| — | red and blue or purple food coloring, optional | |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | butter, softened (preferably 1/2 cup salted, 1/2 cup unsalted) (frosting) |
| 1 | seeds of vanilla bean | |
| 3 cups | 720 ml | powdered sugar |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla extract |
| 2 1/2 - 3 Tbsp | 38–45 ml | milk |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | heavy cream |
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, combine greek yogurt, milk, dried lavender and vanilla and blend for 1 minute, scraping down sides and lid of food processor once during blending. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl while using a spatula to press and rub lavender against strainer to release oils (also scrape out any excess from food processor - get all of it). Set aside and allow to rest.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer whip together butter, oil and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in eggs one at a time, adding in food coloring with second egg if using (I used about 30 drops blue and a little less red). Add in flour mixture in three separate batches alternating with half of the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing on low-speed just until combined after each addition.
- Transfer batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch round tip and pipe cookies onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet into 1 3/4-inch rounds (I did this by holding the piping tip about 1/2-inch from baking sheet and piping the batter out allowing it to spread outward while slowly moving the piping bag up - similar to piping a meringue cookie without so much tip on top), spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven about 6 - 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely then spread Vanilla Bean Frosting on bottom of one cookie and sandwich to bottom of another cookie. Store in an airtight container.
- For the Vanilla Bean Frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and vanilla bean seeds on medium-high speed until nearly white and very fluffy, about 6 - 7 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add in powdered sugar, milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Recipe Source: Cooking Classy