Your family will love these ice cream sandwiches!
While at our sons’ soccer tournament not long ago in Canton, Michigan, my friend, Sonia, and I hit a Trader Joes. Wandering around the store I saw some Whoopie Pies, and while they may have been better than a “regular” grocery store-bought cookie (or not), I knew my own homemade Whoopie Pies would be the very best.
Disclaimer:
When I say “best”, I mean as in no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup, no GMOs, all organic ingredients, real butter, etc. Not “best” as in “good for you” – sweets can’t be labeled that, unfortunately. But they can be labeled “better” than store-bought alternatives.
Marshmallows without HFCS can’t be found!
Instead of the typical whoopie pie middle layer of marshmallows, I made some real whipped cream, and then froze them to make them into homemade ice cream sandwiches – they were a big hit!
Ice Cream Sandwiches / Whoopie Pie Recipe
Cookie Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour (original recipe calls for “all-purpose”, you could use this organic flour or I love einkorn flour these days.)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup organic cocoa powder
- 2 cups organic palm or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 pastured eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk (never use low-fat milks)
- 2/3 cup melted butter or no-flavor coconut oil
- Plus you'll need the ingredients for this real whipped cream
Instructions:
Mix flour, baking soda, sea salt, cocoa, and sugar together. (I used the Bosch so I could easily double the recipe.) Beat eggs slightly. Add milk and vanilla. Combine with other mixture. Add oil and mix well. Drop onto buttered cookie sheet and try to flatten a bit, it’s sticky so it’s not easy. Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then dollop with real whipped cream (no cool whip!) in between two cookies. Separate on a plate with waxed paper in between the sandwiches and freeze. Enjoy!
I’ve gone through over 50 lbs of sugar since the beginning of December. I think I’ve got a horde of kids ready to declare me BFF *ALL* over the country!!!
Once things are a little calmer, I can send you some, if you’d like. I’ve made cane sugar marshmallows for most of the batches, but I have a friend whose son is allergic to cane sugar, so I made one batch of all maple syrup and another of all honey. The honey and maple flavor was a bit strong in each for my tastes, but it worked out just fine if you’re avoiding cane sugar. I haven’t tried the natural dried cane juice sweeteners because they’re expensive, but I’d imagine they work as well. On a somewhat limited budget right now.
Well aren’t you a big sweetheart?!!! You’d be my kids’ new BFF that’s for sure! 🙂
Kel
Why not just make your own corn syrup free marshmallows?
I didn’t know there was such a recipe when I wrote this post! I’ve since seen some good ones that I’d like to try one of these days. 🙂
The picture on the bag of flour has a loaf of bread on it. On the package it says, “Ideal for breads and other recipes that include yeast as a rising agent.”
But, I have always used it for everything. Unless a recipe specifically calls for soft pastry flour, I just used that. So, it must be from hard wheat berries. I’m going to try to call the company to see if they can tell me for sure.
I just got the mill in the mail yesterday. I’ve got hard wheat berries sprouted and dehydrated-ready for milling into flour, but haven’t yet. I was waiting until I got to the store to pick up some soft berries. I make more muffins and loaves, etc. than I do bread. I can’t wait to try it! Maybe I should try to mill the hard wheat and see if it works for muffins. I would just hate for it to fail and waste good ingredients. I’ll report back!
If it doesn’t say “pastry flour”, it is usually bread flour. But if it has worked for you, great! 🙂 Maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did…?
Are you loving your Nutrimill?
Ok, thanks Kelly. I was actually just wondering that. When I buy a bag of organic whole wheat flour from the store, it does not specify whether they are from hard or soft wheat berries, but I have always used that flour for everything-including bread, cookies, cakes, muffins, etc. I wonder what type they are using? Maybe it is a mixture of both.
Christine, I just thought of something I forgot to tell you when you were asking about soft vs. hard wheat: sometimes a recipe calls for “all-purpose flour” – that means it’s half pastry flour (from soft berries, preferably sprouted, unless you’re soaking), and half regular whole wheat flour from hard berries (again, preferably sprouted unless you’re soaking in the recipe).
Kelly
Christine, there’s some info on that at the comments here:
https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/11/sprouted-grains-part-2-how-to-sprout.html
Kelly
Kelly, have you tried to make yeast bread with your sprouted hard wheat flour?
Betsy, SO cool about your grandparents. 🙂
Christine, yes, soft berries for that stuff. What would happen with hard? I don’t know, maybe it would just taste heavier…? Does someone else know? I’ve always just done what I was taught!
Kelly
Grandma always had these available when we came to visit (we’re talking the 60s here!). I think in later years a neighbor made them for her. Man, they were good. That same neighbor gave me a cookbook with the recipe. No marshmallows! The filling was made with shortening (!), confectioners’ sugar, stiffly beaten egg whites, salt & vanilla.
The cookbook, btw, is “Cooking Down East” published in 1969 by the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Grandma used white flour, but she also used lard, cream and butter. They had a veggie garden that grandpa tended until he died at 93. They lived in their own house, alone, until the end. Not bad at all!
Kelly, no TJs in San Antonio either. 🙁
Thanks Kelly,
So, would I use soft wheat for things like muffins, loaves, and cakes? They need to rise, but don’t use yeast. What would happen if I used hard wheat for things like cookies?
Christine, yes I did my own flour. The berries for pastry flour (use it for anything that doesn’t need to rise/basically all baking that isn’t a bread) are called, “Soft wheat”, and for bread making, you’ll buy “hard wheat”. Have fun with your new Nutrimill!
(More on that for those who are wondering: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/11/nutrimill-for-really-fresh-homemade.html.)
Kelly,
I am still waiting on my delivery of the Nutrimill, and in the meantime, sprouting and drying wheat to grind when it arrives! In this recipe, you used sprouted pastry flour, did you sprout and grind it yourself, or buy it? When buying whole wheat berries, will it say whole wheat pastry grain?
Thanks!
Jennifer, are those HFCS-free marshmallows at your co-op a certain brand? If so, please share, I’ll hunt them down.
Ann Marie, yeah, gee thanks for sharing your opinion on TJ’s. First you rub it in with your local beautiful produce ALL YEAR LONG, and now this…
I’m cracking up that you love this recipe so much – I’d never have guessed that one. I’d more have thought you’d wait to declare a favorite after I posted some crazy raw organ meat recipe or something, but only if it was fried in tons of butter! 🙂 (Readers, don’t hold your breath for that recipe!)
oh those look so good! i love my baking with the sprouted ww pastry flour, i find it tastes better then white, which i never felt about not-sprouted ww flour.
in regards to TJs i go there occaisionally as ours is 25 minutes away and a local co-op and whole foods are only 10 minutes. but there are things that are a great price at TJs that i would buy no matter where i shopped. and personally i hope that coops can become better at having comprable prices. i would love to only support locally ownded grocery stores but sometimes my pocket book, my husbands hard earned money, speaks more then my ideals.
emily
PS: Sorry, Kel. I didn’t mean to go on and on about TJ’s like that. They’re not really that great. If you want to know the truth, they suck. You wouldn’t even want one of their stores. Really you, wouldn’t. 😉
I wish I had taken you to my local TJ’s store when you were here! I guess I was too busy plying you with oysters and foie gras.
CHEESESLAVE
Local Nourishment – do you have a recipe for your marshmallows?
CHEESESLAVE
WOOT! Kel, I think this is my favorite recipe of yours EVER. And I’ve loved lots of your recipes. But MAN does this look good. I will definitely give it a go.
Jennifer Twin Mom – I disagree with you about Trader Joe’s. They have so many good things. The WAPF recommends their sourdough breads and their pasteurized cream. They also have stevia, good organic wines, and, in California, Niman Ranch bacon and organic pasteurized milk white-labeled (I believe) from Strauss Dairy. They also have lots of organic fruits and vegetables. Plus, their prices rival the co-ops I’ve checked out. I’m a big fan of TJs.
CHEESESLAVE
Those look so much like what my mom used to make – except she kept hers in the fridge and no the freezer. And she used much more “typical” ingredients. So…thank you, thank you, thank you! You’ve helped me reclaim a bit of my childhood to pass on to my kids. Yum!
Mindy
I made marshmallows last Christmas and gave them as gifts. They were still solid white sugar, but at least *I* was in charge of the sugar I used! It’s easier than you’d think and a fun experiment for the kids.
Local Nourishment
They have HFCS free marshmallows at my Co-op. I don’t know how excited I would get about Trader Joe’s. They are the very worst of industrial organic that is out there. Processed food is processed food, whether its organic or not. I know baby steps are good, but I really prefer natural foods Co-ops because they are more conducive to scratch cooking and trying to eat healthy/organic/whole foods on a budget.
My local Co-op has a HUGE bulk section; you can even buy things like maple syrup, olive oil, and dishsoap in bulk. They also have “grind your own” peanut and almond butter stations. I take just about as many containers TO the store with me as I take home!
Anyway, I wish every town had a Co-op. And by the way these ice cream sandwiches look GREAT.
Mmm…these look yummy.
No HFCS-free marshmallows?! **Sigh** I was just thinking over the 4th of July when we had s’mores that I should try to find some healthier alternatives to the mallows, grahams, and Hershey bars. 🙁
ok – those look YUMMY!
Thanks for the recipe. Just when my kids think I’m not strict nutrition mom I like to give them treats like this 🙂
Amy
Once again I was an official taste tester to this recipe. I have to confess that I didn’t even share them with my children or husband. They were my daily treat for a few days!! Yummy!
Hallee, I forgot the vanilla but just added it, sorry!
Katie, I’ve never had good luck soaking these kinds of recipes, if you try it, let us know. 🙂
Kelly
What would happen if you used buttermilk or kefir and soaked the flour overnight?
How much vanilla? Extract or bean?