NEW SHARON — If the tastiness of a whoopie pie was judged by the amount of filling smudged on a face and the pie and cream squished between fingers, Douin’s Market would be a winner all the time.
Eight-month-old Landen Gilbert of New Sharon had just the look. He sat on a picnic table in front of the Route 2 store on Monday as his mother, Danielle Gilbert, held a mini-whoopie pie and he grabbed a piece of it. His lips and hand were smeared with white cream.
It was a special occasion for store owners Joseph and DeAnne Douin and their son, Darin, who got the award for the Best Unique Whoopie Pie at the 2011 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival last year.
Monday’s event was the kickoff to the 2012 Maine Whoopie Pie Season, festival organizer Patrick Myers, known as the Whoopie Pie Guy, said.
The Douins were giving away free, traditional mini-whoopie pies free to the first 100 people. That meant lots of children with adults flocking to the store.
“The whoopie pie is Maine’s beloved treat and the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival is the official celebration of this Maine delicacy,” according to a news release. “Dozens of bakers from all over the state will be at the festival to serve tens of thousands of whoopie pies to a hungry mob of whoopie enthusiasts.”
This year’s festival is on Saturday, June 23, in Dover-Foxcroft.
Sweetie Pie, the mascot of the festival, stood with arms around children Monday as they posed for photos.
Joseph Douin said they make about 15,000 whoopie pies a month.
“We bake all day long,” he said.
They won the Most Unique Flavored Whoopie Pie Award last year for their peanut butter brownie pie, he said.
The big award for them, Douin said, was the People’s Choice chosen by festivalgoers for the best overall whoopie pie. The Douins are racking up awards with their creations.
Besides the peanut butter brownie pie and the traditional pie, they have started making chocolate filled whoopies, he said.
“It’s like the chocolate lover’s dream and it’s just started to take off,” Douin said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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- Landen Gilbert, 8 months, of New Sharon, enjoys a mini-whoopie pie Monday at Douin’s Market on Route 2 in New Sharon. The market owned by Joseph and DeAnne Douin received an award last year for the Most Unique Flavored Whoopie Pie, a peanut butter brownie, at the 2011 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.
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- Landen Gilbert, 8 months, of New Sharon tastes a Douin’s Market whoopie pie on Monday while his mother, Danielle Gilbert, right, and store co-owner, DeAnne Douin, back, look on outside the market.
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- Landen Gilbert, 8 months, of New Sharon, shows off his cream-covered lips on Monday outside at Douin’s Market in New Sharon.
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