Homemade Choco Pies

So, I'm not the biggest fan of Choco Pies. I think they're cute looking, but taste really artificial, dry, and plastic-y. The chocolate coating has no chocolate flavor at all, which is a bit unfortunate for something with chocolate or "choco" in its name. That being said, after Pocky sticks, Choco Pies are one of the most well-known Asian packaged snacks there is, so I knew I had to re-make it...and make it better. The cake had to be moist and the chocolate had to taste like chocolate. I mean, I'm not going to perform miracles here. Choco Pies are still essentially a fluff cake sandwhich with chocolate on top, but at least it will taste better. And yes, it was definitely fun to make.

My trick behind making the cakes was to use muffin tins or even better if you have it, whoopie pie tins. They're straighter on the sides and mimic the Japanese imagawayaki shapes better. Because all cakes sort of bake with a bump on top, a good tip for making these Choco Pies are to level off the cakes with a knife before assembling. That way, you'll get nice even surfaces to work with, which will result in a more professional-looking Choco Pie.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Make batter by mixing dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

#### 3. Fill whoopie pie or muffin tin with 1/4 inch of batter.

#### 4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cakes turn golden brown on the underside. Let cool. (Tops may still look pale)

#### 5. Meanwhile, prepare ganache by bringing a cup of heavy cream to a boil. #### 6. Immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate. #### 7. Whisk till smooth.

To Assemble:

1. Cut tops off cake so that the surface is flat.

#### 2. Spread about a teaspoon of marshmallow filling on the cake. Top it off with another cake, making sure the golden brown sides are exposed.

#### 3. Place the assembled cakes on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch the ganache. Pour a small amount of ganache on top of the assemebled cakes until the tops and sides are covered. A spatula may be needed.

#### 4. Let it set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

Batter: - 1 1/4 cup cake flour - 1/2 cup sugar - 1/2 tsp baking powder - 1 egg - 1/3 cup milk - splash of vanilla extract

Filling: - 1/2 cup Fluff or marshmallow spread

Ganache Coating: - 8 oz chocolate chips (1/2 bag) - 1 cup heavy cream