Vegan MoFo: Sweet Potato + Whoopie Pies = Swoopie Pies!

Why not, I ask? Behold – the versatility of the sweet potato!  Not only can it be savory, but it can be sweet and delicious as well! These are really fun to make and truly taste amazing.  The recipe is a combo of several different recipes –  including a veganized family recipe for the traditional chocolate whoopie pies.  I’m actually quite impressed by how well this came out considering I had to use my old, uneven, cold oven to bake the pies in and the fact that I was figuring out the recipe in my head as it went along.

Recipe makes approximately 20 Swoopie Pies 🙂

Wet Mixture
1 cup Vegan Cane Sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup Organic Non Hydrogenated Vegetable Shortening
2 tbs Molasses
2 tbs Vanilla Extract
1 (15oz) can organic sweet potato puree (I used Farmers Market brand)

Dry Mixture
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbs Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom

Cream Cheese Icing
1 container of FYH (Follow Your Heart) cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs earth balance
1 tsp vanilla extract

*You MAY have leftover icing…is that a bad thing?*

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line 2 baking sheets with sil-pats or parchment.
2. Beat together both sugars and the shortening. This will not ‘cream’, rather it will still be a bit crumbly- that is ok! You can use a standing mixer if you wish to, however I was just fine using my hand mixer.
3. Add in the molasses and the vanilla.  Beat and combine well.
4. Add the can of sweet potatoes and mix well. Set aside.
5. In a separate large mixing bowl, either sift all of the remaining dry ingredients together or combine them in the bowl and combine evenly with a whisk (if you don’t have all of the spices, just use what you have, no big deal).
6. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet mix in small batches.  Thoroughly combining after each time.  The batter will be quite thick- this is ok!
7. Scoop out 1.5 to 2 tbs amounts of batter at a time. Just overfill a tbs measure or a spoon. Roll batter into a ball with your hands, place on cookie sheet and then gently pat down to form small discs (See picture below). I try to make them the same size as they will be paired with each other to make the sandwiched pies. You should be able to fit 12 ‘discs’ per cookie sheet.
8. Place in oven, bake for 15-18 minutes depending on your oven.  They will be ready when the tops bounce back when you push on them or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Allow cakes to cool.  While cooling, assemble ingredients for cream cheese icing.  Beat together all ingredients with hand mixer, adding more powdered sugar if you want it to be more stiff.
10. Once cakes are cool, place 1tbs of icing directly in the middle of a cake and place another cake on top.  Gently press down. Repeat with remaining cakes. Place finished “swoopies” in the refrigerator, as the icing needs to set and firm up, and they are even better cold.  Trust me.  They are divine!

After being "patted down"

About to go into the oven!

yummm finished Swoopie Cakes!

...and done! Enjoy!