Cousin Jonnie's Red Velvet Whoopee Pies

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• softened
• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Pies:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and cocoa together in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, food coloring, and vanilla.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until they turn pale and double in volume.
6. Add the oil mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 5 small additions, starting and ending with the flour.
8. Drop the batter by teaspoons onto the baking sheets, allowing 1-inch between drops, as the cookies will spread.
9. You'll be making 48 cookies.
10. Bake until the cookies are firm but not crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Transfer immediately to racks to cool.
12. Filling:
13. Put the flour into a medium saucepan and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth.
14. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until very thick, about 3 minutes.
15. Remove the flour mixture from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
16. Cream the sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
17. Add the cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy.
18. Spread some filling onto 1 cookie and top it with another to make a sandwich.
19. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
20. Cover the filled whoopee pies with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.