IPAs and Jalapeño Goat Cheese Whoopie Pies with Goat Cheese Bacon Filling
Once a month, the Impassioned Brewers United Club meets to taste and discuss various types of craft beer. We taste 10-12 beers and rank each on aroma, flavor, appearance and mouth feel. Then we compare our rankings to the pros and take note of our personal favorites. Our group includes home brewers, craft beer enthusiasts and probably a few folks who just really like to get drunk and talk about mouth feel, but we always have a good time.
This month it was our turn to host and the category was IPAs. IPAs have never been my favorite, but I am eager to expand my horizons and find some I like.
And I did find a few I liked, primarily the Imperial IPAs, with my favorites being the Rogue New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta an Rhinelander Imperial Jack IP. Essentially the varieties that taste the least like a tradition IPA should taste. What can I say, I like a malty beer!
It’s not a party without good food (i.e. it’s not a party without bacon!), so I decided to try my hand at these savory whoopie pies.
Yes, they’re as good as they sound. Some assembly required, but they’re worth every minute of it. I hear there’s a big game coming up, and I bet these would be a hit!
Jalapeño Goat Cheese Whoopie Pies with Goat Cheese Bacon Filling
From Cook Like a Champion
For the Cakes:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- *1 cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 2 jalapeño peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
*Cheap cook tip: Don’t have buttermilk? No problem! Mix 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Let sit for two minutes. Voilà!
For the filling:
- 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Heat oven to 375º and place rack in center. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a nonstick baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Combine the buttermilk, butter, brown sugar and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, or until well combined.
- Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and peppers and beat until just combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. It’s important that they are similar sizes an shapes since you will be creating sandwiches with them.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cakes begin to brown around the edges, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- While the cakes are baking, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese and milk. Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Reduce speed to low and add the bacon and garlic powder and beat until just combined.
- To assemble the whoopie pies, scoop about a tablespoon onto half the cakes. Place the remaining cakes onto the filled cakes and press to sandwich them together. If your cake are not all identical size and shapes, play match-maker and pair up ones that look like they’d be a good fit before you begin assembling.
Serving Size: 12-15 whoopie pies
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