A Lancaster County Moon Pie Recipe

Moon Pie or Whoppie Pie? Although they are wonderfully sweet, a tasty treat and come in many varieties, there are many verssions of each. The Whoppie Pie, while cakey and thick, has it's origins in New England and Lancaster County. The Moon-Pie on the other hand gets it's roots from the south. Typically it has a hard cookie type outer dough and is coated with a topping. 

Whether you are a Moon-Pie person or a Whoppie-Pie person, one thing is for sure, It's sure to please on those "getting-ready-to-light-the-bon-fire" days. In Lancaster County you can find the Whoppie-Pie at just about any Lancaster County bakery. A roadtrip to Chattanoga TN is in the offing for a Moon-Pie unless you try making this recipe. Not sure you want to try it on your own, It's one of the recipes during our Holiday Baking Demo this year.

Have Fun and Enjoy this special treat!

Harvest Moon Pie

Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• A few drops of  clove oil or ½ tsp of ground clove
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling

• 2 cups marshmallow spread
• ½ tsp of apple pie spice
• 6 caramel squares melted

Chocolate Glaze

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons agave or corn syrup

Directions

• For the Shortbread Cookies: combine butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add clove oil and mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl, add flour, graham cracker crumbs and salt and whisk. Add the flour mixture gradually to the creamed butter and mix just until a dough forms. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch log, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven to a baking rack and allow to cool for about ten minutes or till cool to the touch.
• For the Filling: in a medium bowl, add the marshmallow spread,  apple pie spice and melted caramel. Transfer marshmallow mixture to a piping bag or large zip-lock bag. Pipe 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of cookie. Top with a second cookie and lightly press to spread to edges. Repeat with remaining cookies. Transfer cookies to a tray and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• For the Chocolate Glaze: line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl add the chocolate, coconut oil and agave and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals. Allow to cool. Using 2 forks, dip each sandwich cookie into chocolate until coated. Arrange on baking sheet and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.
• Helpful Tip: melt more caramel and drizzle on top for a showy moon-pie.

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