Thursday, June 24, 2010

Whoopie! It's the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival


{photo via Like The Dew}

Start working up your appetite for the sweet goodness of Maine's favorite dessert -- whoopie pies! This Saturday is the 2010 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.

What, you aren't familiar with a whoopie pie? Say it isn't so. Well, it is THE sweetest dessert on the planet, for certain. And, around Maine it's commonplace (and, you'll find them in all sorts of flavors) -- I think it safe to say that many households make their own (though I must admit I never have). 

I think Wikipedia describes it best...

A whoopie pie (alternatively called a gob, black-and-white, bob, or "BFO" for Big Fat Oreo) is a baked good made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, sometimes pumpkin cake, with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them.[1] While considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition,[2] they are increasingly sold throughout the United States.[1] According to food historians, Amish women would bake these (known as hucklebucks at the time) and put them in farmers' lunchboxes. When farmers would find these treats in their lunch, they would shout "Whoopie!"[1]


Intrigued to try this sweet treat? Or, already consider yourself a whoopie pie connoisseur and ready to cast your vote? Well, now's your chance. On June 26th (this Saturday), Dover-Foxcroft will become whoopie pie central with the arrival of the 2010 Whoopie Pie Festival. Professional and amateur bakers will let you sample (and vote!) their creations. And, of course, the festival will have a whole host of other activities too--including a performance by Dave Mallet.

2 comments:

  1. is there a "needhams" festival?????

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  2. Love, love, love Whoopie Pies!!! I was so excited to see an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about them recently along with recipes for interesting twists on the traditional Whoopie Pie. Check it out at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/27/FDIR1E2K9P.DTL

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