Sarah's Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with a Cream Cheese filling

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:

295 grams SR flour
30 grams cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
170 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
200 grams caster sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
180 ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring (can add more for a more intense colour)

Cream Cheese Filling:

113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
227 grams cream cheese, room temperature
345 grams icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

For the Whoopie Pies -

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the egg beating well.
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Mix the buttermilk and red food coloring in a separate bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Drop heaping tablespoons (can also use a small ice cream scoop) of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
With moistened fingers or with the back of a spoon, smooth the tops of the cookies.
Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies, when lightly pressed, spring back (or a skewer inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean).
Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Filling -

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth.
Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the icing sugar, and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.

To Assemble -
Take one cookie and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of the cookie. Top with another cookie. The assembled cookies can be stored, covered, in the fridge for several days.
Makes about 17 sandwich cookies.

Happy baking!