Whoopie pie

The whoopie pie (alternatively called a black moon, gob [term indigenous to the Pittsburgh region], black-and-white, bob, or "BFO" for Big Fat Oreo (also recorded as "Devil Dogs" and "Twins" in 1835)[1] is an American baked product that may be considered either a cookie, pie, sandwich, or cake. It is made of two round mound-shaped pieces of usually chocolate cake, or sometimes pumpkin, gingerbread or other flavored cakes, with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them.[2]

Whoopie pie
Alternative namesBlack moon, gob, black-and-white, bob, BFO, Big Fat Oreo
TypeCookie, pie, sandwich, or cake
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateMaine
Main ingredientsCake (usually chocolate); icing or Marshmallow creme

History

While considered a New England classic and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition,[3] they are increasingly sold throughout the United States.[2]

The whoopie pie is the official state treat of Maine[4] (not to be confused with the official state dessert, which is blueberry pie).[4]

Gob [the term indigenous to the Pittsburgh region] has been trademarked by the Dutch Maid Bakery in Johnstown. The owner, Tim Yost, bought the rights to the name and the process in 1980.[5]

The world's largest whoopie pie was created in South Portland, Maine, on March 26, 2011, weighing in at 1,062 lb (481.7 kg).[6] Pieces of the giant whoopie pie were sold and the money was used to send Maine-made whoopie pies to soldiers serving overseas.[6] The previous record holder, from Pennsylvania, weighed 200 lb (90.7 kg).[6]

The town of Dover-Foxcroft, in Piscataquis County, Maine, has hosted the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival since 2009. In 2014, more than 7,500 people attended the festival.[7] The 2013 festival had eight different whoopie pie vendors in attendance. Bakers from across Maine compete for top whoopie pie in a number of categories.[8]

Origin controversy

Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia and New Hampshire all claim to be the birthplace of the whoopie pie. The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau[9] notes that the whoopie pie recipe comes from the area's Amish and Pennsylvania German culture—origins that are unlikely to leave an official paper trail—and has been handed down through generations.[10] Labadie's Bakery in Lewiston, Maine has been making the confection since 1925.[11] The now-defunct Berwick Cake Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts was selling "Whoopee Pies" as early as the 1920s, but officially branded the Whoopee Pie in 1928 to great success. Various claims suggest that the whoopie pie originated in Massachusetts and spread both north and south,[12] or that German immigrants in Pennsylvania[13] brought the predecessor of the whoopie pie to communities throughout the northeast.[14] A clue into how the possibly Amish dessert got to be so popular in New England can be found in a 1930s cookbook called Yummy Book by the Durkee Mower Company, the manufacturer of Marshmallow Fluff. In this New England cookbook, a recipe for "Amish Whoopie Pie" was featured using Marshmallow Fluff in the filling.[15]

In 2011, the Maine State Legislature considered naming the whoopie pie the official state pie.[13] The proposal received bipartisan support. L.D. 71, officially known as "An Act to Designate the Whoopie Pie as the State Dessert", read "The whoopie pie, a baked good made of two chocolate cakes with a creamy frosting between them, is the official state dessert".[16] The Maine Legislature eventually decided to declare the whoopie pie the official state treat, and chose blueberry pie (made with wild Maine blueberries) as the official state dessert.[4]

See also

References
  1. Massachusetts (1835). Annual Report of the State of Massachusetts Infirmary. 3. p. 92. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  2. Maynard, Mcheline (March 17, 2009). "Whoopie! Cookie, Pie or Cake, It's Having Its Moment". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
  3. Stradley, Linda (May 2, 2015). "Whoopie Pie History and Recipe, Whats Cooking America". Whatscookingamerica.net. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  4. Associated Press (April 21, 2011). "It's the law: Whoopie pie official 'treat'". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  5. "Johnstown bakery owns rights to Gobs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  6. "Maine creates 1,062 pound Whoopie Pie". WHDH-TV. March 28, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  7. Sharrow, Dan (July 2, 2014). "Over 7,500 People Celebrate the Maine Whoopie Pie". mainewhoopiepiefestival.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  8. Stapleton, Erica (June 27, 2014). "Bakers Prepare For Upcoming Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft". WABI. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  9. "Save Our Whoopie". PAdutchcountry.com. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  10. Pompilio, Natalie (February 16, 2011). "Whoopie pies: Maine treat or Lancaster Co. delight?". Philly.com. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  11. "Battle Brewing Over 'Whoopie Pies'". Portland, Maine: WMTW.com. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  12. Stoneback, Diane W. "Which state made the first whoopie pie?". mcall.com. Tribune Company. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  13. Gorsegner, Michael (February 18, 2011). "Pennsylvanians upset over Maine's claim to Whoopie Pie creation". Fox43.com. East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
  14. "Whoopie Pie, Whoopie Pie Recipe, Gob History, How To Make Whoopie Pies, Whoopie Pie History". Whatscookingamerica.net. March 12, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  15. "Whoopie Pie History and Recipe, Gob History, How To Make Whoopie Pies, Whats Cooking America". whatscookingamerica.net. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  16. Cover, Susan M. (January 18, 2011). "Maine legislators sweet on whoopie pies". Portland Press Herald. Augusta, Maine. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
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