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Valentines day is coming up! If you are single, these Whoopie Pies can be your partner! 

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Hard)

Yield: 20

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• red food coloring 

Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla, beating to combine. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Add the food coloring a little at a time until you achieve your desired color for the whoopie pies.
3. Pipe (or spoon) batter in 1-inch rounds, about ½-inch high on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each round. (Alternatively, you can pipe heart-shaped cookies - see Annie’s photos and instructions linked above.) Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 
4. To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. When all of the sugar has been incorporated, increase the speed of the mixer and beat briefly until smooth. 
5. Match the cookies by size as best you can to make pairs. Pipe the frosting on the flat side of one of the cookies in each pair. Sandwich the cookies together and press gently until the filling reaches the edges.