Episode 24
Whoopie Pies
Whoopie pies are not pies at all. This all-American treat is made of vanilla cream frosting sandwiched between two pieces of round chocolate cake. The whoopie pie was invented in New England. And today, it is the official state treat of Maine.
This company adds a modern twist to the classic whoopie pie recipe. In addition to traditional chocolate and vanilla, the company makes four other all-natural flavors. The ingredients are certified vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher and free of many common food allergens.
Workers begin by making the chocolate cakes. The first ingredient is water followed by apple cider vinegar. Then, they add either canola or sunflower oil. They mix the liquid ingredients in a large bowl. Then they add the dry ingredients, starting with tapioca starch, bean flour, and sorghum, a gluten-free grain. Next, they mix in cocoa powder, granulated cane sugar, and light brown sugar. They run the mixer at a very high speed to incorporate air in the batter. This will make the cake lighter and fluffier. After about 4 minutes of mixing, the batter is ready. They test a sample using a viscometer, a device that measures the thickness. If the batter is the right consistency, they pump it through a hopper into a multi-head depositor. Each of its five nozzles shoot one ounce of batter onto a moving baking sheet. A finished sheet contains seven rows of batter. Workers load multiple sheets of batter into an oven. The sheets rotate for 15 minutes at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, evenly baking the cakes. The precise combination of ingredients allows the acids in the apple cider vinegar to react with the cocoa powder. The result is a perfect little chocolate cake that's rich in flavor and moist in texture.
The main ingredient for the filling is shortening. It's made from sustainable palm oil. This means the palm trees were responsibly harvested. They mix the shortening well, incorporating enough air to make it light and fluffy. Then they add powdered cane sugar and organic rice milk as a dairy-free substitute. The rice milk makes the frosting creamy. For vanilla frosting, they simply add pure vanilla extract. This is a batch of raspberry frosting, so they add pure raspberry extract and beet juice for color. When they make mint frosting, they use pure mint extract and alfalfa extract for green color. Lemon frosting is made from pure lemon extract and turmeric for color. They check the shade against a color chart to ensure the correct flavor. The multi-head depositor drops frosting on the baking sheets in the same configuration as the batter.
Then they assemble the final pie. Workers start by placing a piece of cake on top of the frosting. They press down hard enough to spread the frosting just shy of the cake's edge. They cover the top with a sheet of parchment paper, then place a baking sheet on top and flip it over. They remove the top baking sheet and the parchment paper. Then, they carefully place the second cake onto the frosting. Workers roll the trays of whoopie pies into a cooler where the desserts chill for about 15 minutes. This hardens them so they won't get squished during packaging.
Workers place the whoopie pies on a conveyor belt that leads to an automated wrapping machine. It wraps double-printed packaging around each pie and seals them underneath. Then the machine cuts the film between each pie. The next machine packages four sealed whoopie pies per retail box.
There are zero preservatives in these whoopie pies. They're shipped frozen to the grocery store and sold in the freezer section. When it's time for a treat, simply let them thaw to room temperature and enjoy.
