Dear Sun Spots: About seven to nine years ago, you had an article in the Sun Journal with recipes for whoopie pies. These were chocolate, pumpkin and molasses recipes. The chocolate whoopie pies are the best. My problem is that my home burned in 2001 and I lost everything, including my whoopie pie recipes. Friends and family have given me cookbooks but I still haven’t found this particular recipe. I’d be so grateful to have this again, if someone has it. – Penny Baker, No Town.

Answer: Firstly, Sun Spots is very sorry about your experience with the fire. Because there are so many exciting recipes to share with you and other readers, Sun Spots will feature these recipes in Tuesday’s column as well.

Sun Spots believes you are seeking the following from the Aug. 3, 2002, column:

Nana Skeff’s whoopie pies, recipe from Sun Journal business reporter Carol Coultas. We here the newsroom always celebrate when Coultas brings in her goodies! Cake ingredients: 6 tablespoons of Crisco, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1¼ teaspoons baking soda, 5 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt. Method: Cream the first five ingredients together, then blend in the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Filling ingredients: 2½ tablespoons flour, ½ cup milk, 1 stick butter, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Method: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk together and heat until just boiling and thickened. Cool. Place in a bowl with the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fill the cakes. Recipe makes 18.

Lois’ luscious pumpkin whoopie pies. Lois Howard combined two separate Amish recipes to get the version she shares with us here. Use either canned or your own prepared-from-scratch pumpkin. Cake ingredients: 2 cups brown sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 1½ cups cooked, mashed pumpkin; 2 eggs; 3 cups white, all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 tablespoon cinnamon; ½ tablespoon ginger; ½ tablespoon ground cloves. Method: Cream sugar and oil. Add pumpkin, eggs and remaining dry ingredients and mix well. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Filling ingredients: 12 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened; whites of 2 eggs; ¼ teaspoon vanilla; 2¾ cups powdered sugar, divided. Method: Beat cream cheese, egg whites and vanilla with half of the powdered sugar until blended. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth. Refrigerate at least half an hour before assembling the whoopie pies, using 2 tablespoons of filling per pie. Makes three dozen.

Terry Berry’s molasses whoopie pies. Terry Berry, a nutrition aide at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Service, provided this whoopie pie variation in which old-fashioned molasses serves as the definitive flavoring. The cake portion comes from a cookbook produced several years ago by the Livermore Elementary School parent-teacher group, and was contributed by Jill L’Italien.

Cake ingredients: 2 egg yolks; 1 cup molasses; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup shortening; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 4½ cups white, all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ginger; 1 cup brewed coffee, black; 2 teaspoons baking soda.

Method: Beat the first five ingredients together. Mix flour, cinnamon and ginger together and add to first mixture. Add coffee and baking soda to mixture, mix well and drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Filling ingredients: 4 tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup Crisco (or similar shortening), ½ cup margarine. Method: In a small saucepan, mix flour and milk, and heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool. In a mixing bowl, blend vanilla, sugar, shortening and margarine, then add the flour/milk mixture and beat until creamy.

Oatmeal whoopie pies. Cake ingredients: 2 cups brown sugar, ¾ cup butter or shortening, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons boiling water, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2½ cups flour, 2 cups oatmeal. Method: Cream the sugar and shortening. Add the eggs, then the salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, which has been dissolved in the hot water. Gradually add the flour and oatmeal. Drop batter by heaped teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Filling ingredients: 1 egg white, beaten; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided; ¾ cup shortening. Method: Mix the egg white, milk, vanilla and 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar until well blended, and then add the shortening and remaining cup of sugar and mix well. Makes three dozen.

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