Chocolate and Vanilla Whoopies

Ingredients

• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 80g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, lightly packed
• 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 330ml (1 1/3 cups) buttermilk

• Chocolate ganache filling

• 200g pkt dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
• 160ml (2/3 cup) thickened cream
• 100g butter, chopped

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 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, melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl on High/800 watts/100%, stirring every minute, until smooth. Add the butter and stir until the mixture is smooth. Place in the fridge for 1-1 1/2 hours or until thick and spreadable. Use an electric beater to beat until pale and creamy.
6. Place whoopies, base-side up, on a clean work surface. Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm fluted nozzle. Starting from the edge of a whoopie base, swirl the filling over the base. Pipe half the whoopies with the filling.
7. Top with remaining whoopies and press lightly to sandwich together. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.