Jalapeño Cornbread Whoopie Pies with Savory Bacon Filling

These are amazing. Seriously, when I saw this recipe posted on Sing for Your Supper I knew they would be good, so I added them to this week’s meal plan to serve alongside some Texas Crockpot Chili. I’ve adjusted the recipe some, since, as I’ve let you know before, I don’t care for the goat cheese called for in the original. If you like goat cheese, sub 4 oz. of the cream cheese with goat cheese, and omit the cheddar. Also, the original recipe calls for two jalapenos, which is how I left it below, but the store had ginormous (Yes, that’s a word. I used it, so it’s a word) peppers, so I made the decision to use one large rather than 2 medium to small.

As I was putting everything together, I started to worry that these wouldn’t be as good as I thought and that Jim would give me a hard time for “not leaving well enough alone”. I soon realized that my fears were unwarranted, and that these would be better than I even imagined. I “tested” the filling as I mixed it up, as it was a well balanced combination of creamy, salty, and tang from the onions. At this point, I did decide to add in some cheddar cheese, and it was even better. Then, as I was making the pies, there was an odd number, so I took this as a sign that I should try the naked cornbread. It was really, really good; a crisp crust with a moist middle, and a slight bite from the jalapeño. They would actually be good on their own as well, but why would you do that when there is a delicious filling all ready to go?

Oh, and I did not hear a single comment indicating that I should have left anything alone. Bring on the bacon!

Ingredients:

Cornbread:

• 1 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Cornmeal
• ¼ cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
• 2 Jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

Filling:

• 6 slices bacon
• 8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp Milk or Heavy Cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh scallions
• ½ cup Sharp Cheddar, finely grated

Directions:

Cornbread:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the buttermilk, butter, and egg on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture and the chopped jalapeno to the batter and beat on low until just combined.
4. Using a spoon, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
5. Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes each or until the cakes begin to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Filling:

1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and cool. When cool, crumble into small pieces.
2. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and milk on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon, scallions, and cheddar. Beat on low until combined.

Assembly:

Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling. You can also use a pastry bag with a round tip to pipe the filling onto the cakes, which will give you a smoother, neater presentation.