Posted on 13th Feb 2011 @ 11:33 AM

Sweets aren’t my snack of choice unless it’s a perfect cake, which is pretty hard to come by these days. Bakeries just don’t put out a cake that’s worth buying.  Most cakes are made with substandard ingredients, are dry, the frosting is made with “buttercream” which means a tiny bit of butter was added, and the end product is rather tasteless.  That’s why I have walked right by these treats every week at Green Meadows. I’ve walked right on by them at Henry’s Market, too.  This week, however, was different. I walked into Green Meadows Farm on my usual weekly mission to stop by and pick up my winter CSA share.  I chose my fruit from the baskets, the 5 gala apples and the 5 bosc pears, and something sweet caught my eye. I snuck a furtive glance at the cashier’s counter.  I really tried not to look at the treats - like the way you try not to look at the sun, but sometimes squint your eyes and do it anyway.  The counter was covered with chocolate beauties being organized and priced by the farm stand worker on the counter I was planning to place my purchases.   

It looked like someone had just dropped off a shipment of fresh whoopie pies.  Not just any whoopie pie, but the whoopie pies I had previously ‘ignored’.  I couldn’t resist.  I decided to walk over and take a closer look.  I picked up one of the packages and then noticed that there were several flavors to choose from: vanilla cream, espresso cream, peppermint cream, and raspberry cream.  Our friends know how we love berries in our house, so they won’t be surprised to hear that I was holding the raspberry cream ones.  The whoopie pies are packaged three to a bag, stacked one on top of the other.  Three didn’t seem like enough for two people so I had the cashier ring up two bags to bring home.

One whoopie pie never made it past the exit. As the cashier started ringing up my Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies, I opened the crinkly cellophane package, carefully pulled out the whoopie pie and in a fit of pure childish joy, I put my lips on the moist chocolate and went for it.  The cake was moist and chocolatey, not too sweet, and just the right size.  The raspberry filling was sweet and slightly tart, like a real raspberry that’s been kissed with a bit of sweetness.  The cashier must have noticed my audible moans of delight and introduced me to the woman talking to the chef.  That woman was Julie Ganong, the co-owner of Chococoa Baking Company, the maker of “the whoopie.”    Julie was eager to talk whoopie pies, and I am excited to report that a lemon whoopie pie will be coming out in the spring.  My favorite cake flavor is lemon!  Julie also invited me to stop by their cafe in Newburyport.  They sell their whoopie pies, fair trade coffee, and other tasty pastries.  The Chococoa Café is located in Newburyport on the corner of Washington and Winter streets (next to Joseph’s Winter Street Café). The Café address is 38 Washington Street, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

Chococoa Baking Company is sold at local shops and also does mail order.

Originally published by Famly Friends Food Fun, Friday, February 4, 2011