Celebrate National Cookbook Month with Pastry Chef Lynn Damron
Our final October recipe was submitted by CFCC Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor Lynn Damron.
Chef Damron was trained in Baking and Pastry Arts at Hudson Community Community in New Jersey. Before she earned her degree in Baking & Pastry Arts, she earned her associate degree in television and film from Rider University.
Chef Damron’s favorite cookbook for baking is “The Baking Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Her favorite chef is pastry chef Amaury Guichon. “His chocolate work is simply stunning,” noted Damron.
Chef Damron is in her second year as an instructor at CFCC. She has also been the head baker/pastry chef at Spoonfed Kitchen and Bakeshop at Wrightsville Beach for the last 5 1/2 years.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Brown Filling
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 ¾ cups canned pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
Whoopie Pie Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, stir together the first seven ingredients (through cloves). In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, and melted butter with a mixer until combined. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add flour mixture half at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will resemble thick cake batter). Drop 1 tbsp batter 1 ½ inch apart onto a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Prepare maple-brown butter filling.
Maple-Brown Butter Ingredients
- 5 Tbsp butter
- 4 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp salt
- Dash ground cloves
- 3 to 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Filling Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a light golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, beat browned butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and a dash of cloves, and beat on low until combined. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar to reach a spreading consistency. Spread a layer of the filling between two pies and enjoy.
