Vegan Whoopie Pies

makes 12 pies

1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance vegan butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 Ener-G egg (1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm water)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup Dagoba cacao powder

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar. Mix on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

4. Add in the reconstituted "egg" and vanilla. Stir to combine the ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl if necessary.

5. Add half of the dry ingredients into the mixer. Mix at low speed until just combined.

6. Pour in the buttermilk and mix on low speed until just combined.

7. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients and stir on low speed until the batter just comes together.

8. Spoon about two tablespoons of batter into each whoopie pie cavity. Use a small spatula to spread the batter evenly into each divot; each cavity should be about 2/3 full.

9. Bake 8-12 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when touched lightly with your finger.

10. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

11. While the cakes are cooling, make the filling. (See recipe below.)

12. To assemble the pies, add a healthy dollop of the filling to the flat side of one cake and sandwich with another to form the pie.

Vegan Whoopie Pie Filling

makes enough to fill 12 whoopie pies

6 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

7 ounces Suzanne's ricemellow creme

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the vegan butter until creamy.

2. Add the sifted sugar and salt. Slowly increase speed as you mix the ingredients together.

3. Add the ricemellow creme and vanilla and beat at high speed until the filling has a whipped consistency.