CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES

Ingredients

• ​1 cup milk (2%)
• 1 tbsp pure white vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 oz (250 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp ground ginger

Directions

1. ​Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine milk and vinegar; set aside.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, 2 tsp ginger, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside.
4. Using medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, 1 tbsp lemon peel and vanilla until blended. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and beginning and ending with flour mixture, add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture to butter mixture, stirring just until blended.
5. Spoon 32 equal mounds of batter, each measuring about 1 tbsp, 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cookies stand for 3 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove from cookie sheets and cool cookies completely on racks.
7. Meanwhile, to prepare filling, use medium speed of an electric mixer and beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter and lemon juice until smooth. Gradually beat in icing sugar, 1 tsp lemon peel and 1 tsp ginger until fluffy.
8. Spoon about 1 tbsp filling onto flat bottom of 16 cookies. Place a cookie, flat side down, on top of each filling mound, making sandwiches. Refrigerate until serving. May be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator.