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From Jobless to Whoopie Pies!

Thanks to Tast of the Seacoast for this terrific REVIEW

The following appeared on Boston.com:
Headline: Whoopie pies with personality
Date:     Jul 6, 2011

"Failing to find a decent whoopie pie "that actually tasted like chocolate,'' Alan Mons, and his wife, Julie Ganong, both in financial services at the time, decided to perfect their own version. They also wanted to avoid a dry whoopie pie, something all too common. So the couple blended three types of chocolate to create their cakes."

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2011/07/06/whoopie_pies_with_personality_at_chococoa/?s_campaign=8315

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On Monday, March 28 WCVB Channel 5/Chronicle is re-airing Chococoa Baking's Segment @ 7:30pm. "Made in Massachusetts"

For more information and a video preview link click here.

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

Since we opened Chococoa Café we have met the most inspiring and interesting people, one of the great benefits of owning the Café.  Our customer and friend, Davis Lee who casually announced one day in the Café he was swimming the English Channel (like this happens all the time).

Davis took it upon himself to bring our whoopie pies along so he could be photographed eating a Whoopie in the middle of the English Channel. This gave us the idea to launch a yearlong campaign ... "Where in the World is The Whoopie".

Now, your adventure might not be so dramatic as swimming the English Channel but for your next amazing trip/adventure bring along The Whoopie and photograph yourself with them.  We will post it in the Café for all to see and in our future newsletters.  Have some fun with it!

Just a couple of guidelines...please no Photoshop-keep it real!  It must somehow be documented either in front of a sign or landmark or something unique to your location.

By the way, Davis does not recommend eating whoopies with salt water! Thank you, Davis for bringing along The Whoopie, and congratulations on your accomplishment.

OMG Wow! I'm not a huge dessert or sweets person but on occasion I do let my calorie defenses down once in a while to indulge. Whoopie is an understatement when it comes to these little pies. While walking our dog one day my wife asked if I'd ever tried the coffee in at this cool little bakery which is off the beaten path located on a Washington Street, a quiet little side street in a the quaint little New England town of Newburyport known more for it's maritime history and historic Bed & Breakfasts. Who would have thought it would be home to the best Whoopie Pies too. My reply was "no I haven't let's give it a try" and to my surprise I recognized the Whoopie Pies or at least I thought I did.

Let me explain... I was at a party where these delightful little beauties had been served as a desert. My belief was that the host had created the desert in her kitchen and it was from some well protected family recipe and who was I to question the host if she made them herself, I just assumed she did. I had Whoopie Pie on the brain for days after first tasting them and could not get over how good they were and begged my wife to try to get the recipe. When I spotted this familiar looking Whoopie at Chococoa weeks later I had to confirm if this was in fact the Incredible Whoopie that blew my taste buds away. I ordered a coffee with a three pack of Whoopies and when I bit into the Whoopie it was almost like I had discovered a buried chest of gold. I had discovered the source of the Best Whoopie Pie I had ever eaten. So now the secret is out and even better you don't need the recipe! Finally the home of the Best Whoopie Pie can be shared with the world!

Peter Etty, eZine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Best-Whoopie-Pie-Discovered&id=5525187

The Good Stuff Review: http://thegoodstuffreview.com/

Buy "The Best Whoopie Pie" from Chococoa Baking Company now.

Making ... whoopie pies!

As I continue to suffer from “Burrito Bloat” (the ridiculous), I do want to celebrate two of the more delicious culinary delights I’ve had this week…

First, kudos to Chococoa Bakery in Newburyport (the “sublime”). I was surprised to arrive home last week to a box of little pillows from heaven-whoopie pies. Admittedly, I had not heard of this bakery, but the taste is now tattooed on my tongue. I’ve eaten a lot of whoopie pies, devil dogs, Swiss rolls and other assorted cream-filled chocolate cakes in my life, but the leader in the clubhouse is now Chococoa. Next time you’re in Newburyport, Massachusetts, stop in, tell them I sent you, and sit back and enjoy a little whoopie! If you only do one thing, do it well-Julie and Alan have taken it to a new level at Chococoa.

Second, once again, Noah’s Ark deli in NYC had brought me to my knees with the “pastrami knish”. As described last year, these things are softball sized potato and onion knishes, sliced in half, stuffed with pastrami, and then baked to a golden deliciousness…I know it’s taking a few minutes off my life, and I should be speedballing Lipitor, but it was/is/continues to be deeee-lish!

Having a Noah’s Ark knish, washed down with a Chococoa whoopie pie is like a party in your mouth…

Tags: making whoopie pies, whoopie pies, the whoopie, critical palate review, bakery, newburyport, chococoa bakery, chococoabaking.com, massachusetts

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The Critical Palate, posted Thursday, October 24, 2010