Jalapeno Cornbread Whoopie Pies

Mmm this was the perfect accompaniment to my mother in law, Mary Lynn's, Chili.  Once I saw this recipe, I knew it was a match made in heaven.  Chris ate the bread plain because he won't touch cream cheese with a 10 foot pole and I made the filling with all neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese) instead of a blend because I didn't want to spend the extra money on goat cheese.  I bet it would have been even more awesome with the goat cheese...

Anyway, I've experimented quite a bit now in the sweet-type whoopie pies so this was a nice change from the ordinary.  Since it was just the two of us, I halved the recipe and it was just enough for 2 meals of chili and jalapeno cornbread whoopie pie accompaniments.  For simplicity, I used about 2 Tablespoons of canned diced jalapeno peppers.  In the future, I'd add more peppers or a splash of Tabasco for more kick.  You know I like it spicy!

Rather go with the traditional sweet whoopie pies?  Try one of these - one for every season!:

• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
• Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Or, try this regular Buttermilk Cornbread recipe if you want a no-frills cornbread.

Jalapeno Cornbread Whoopie Pies
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Yields: 10-12 assembled pies

Ingredients

For the Cornbread

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature (used 2 Tbsp salted, 2 Tbsp unsalted)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped (used about 2 Tbsp canned diced jalapenos)

For the Cheese Filling

• 6 slices bacon
• 4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, at room temperature (omitted)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (used neufchatel cheese and doubled it to accomodate lack of goat cheese)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh scallions

Directions

To Make the Jalepeno Cornbread

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar , baking powder, and salt. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the buttermilk, butter, and egg on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture and the chopped jalapeno to the batter and beat on low until just combined.
3. Using a spoon, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes each or until the cornbread begin to brown around the edges. While the cornbread is cooking, prepare the cheese filling using the instructions below.  After the cornbread is cooked, remove from the oven and let the them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To Make the Cheese Filling

1. While the cornbread is baking, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool. When cool, crumble into small pieces.
2. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together goat cheese (if using), cream cheese and milk on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon and the scallions and beat on low until combined.

To assemble

1. Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling. You can also use a pastry bag with a round tip to pipe the filling onto the cakes, which will give you a smoother, neater presentation.

Source: Modified from the Star Telegram newspaper, as modified and seen on Sing for Your Supper