Chocolate and Peanut Butter Whoopies

Ingredients

• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 160g (1 cup, lightly packed) brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 50g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300g (2 cups) plain flour
• 330ml (1 1/3 cups) buttermilk

• Peanut butter frosting

• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 70g (1/4 cup) smooth peanut butter
• 230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 1/2 tsp milk

• Icing

• 100g dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg.
2. Stir in the cocoa and bicarbonate of soda to combine. Use a metal spoon to fold in flour and buttermilk, in alternating batches, until just smooth. The mixture should be a little stiff.
3. Use a 3cm-diameter ice-cream scoop to place rounds of the mixture onto prepared trays, leaving 5cm for spreading. Use your finger to smooth mixture around the edges.
4. Bake, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 10 minutes or until firm. Cool slightly. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining mixture.
5. To make the filling: Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl until well combined. Add the icing sugar and beat until well combined. Add the milk and beat until mixture is pale and creamy.
6. Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm fluted nozzle. Pipe stars onto a whoopie base. Pipe half the whoopies with the peanut butter frosting.
7. Top with remaining whoopies and press lightly to sandwich together. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the tops.