Matcha Whoopie Pies

• CAKES
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, such as Droste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 1 cup buttermilk
• MATCHA FILLING
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons matcha*
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• mascarpone
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until very fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; then gradually beat in buttermilk until smooth, scraping down inside of bowl as needed.
4. Line 2 large baking sheets with parch-ment paper or Silpat mats*. Put batter in a piping bag with a large tip (or cut a 1/2-in. corner off a resealable plastic bag and spoon in batter). Form 1-tbsp. mounds of batter 2 in. apart on sheets. Bake about 12 minutes or until cakes spring back when poked. Transfer to rack to cool.
5. Meanwhile, make filling: Sift powdered sugar and matcha together into a medium-large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and mascarpone and beat with a mixer on low speed at first, then on medium until very smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, generously spread some filling on the flat side of a cake and top with another cake. Repeat for rest of cakes.
7. *Chill matcha after opening to slow oxidation. Silpats (silicone baking mats) prevent sticking.
8. Make ahead: Cakes, up to 3 days, stored airtight at room temperature between sheets of parchment; filling, up to 2 days, chilled (bring to room temperature before spreading).
9. Nutritional analysis is per whoopie pie

cakes, flour, dutch, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, vanilla bean, buttermilk, filling, powdered sugar, matcha, cream cheese, mascarpone, unsalted butter

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/matcha-whoopie-pies (may not work)