Caramel popcorn whoopie pies recipe

Pimp up your pies with this kitsch caramel-laden recipe for American whoopie pies

Hannah Miles: "I just adore the complete ‘kitschness’ of these pies, with a caramel glaze and piled high with popcorn. They would be absolutely perfect to serve for a movie night at home."

Makes 12

• 200g caster sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 125g unsalted butter or vegetable shortening such as Trex, softened
• 1 large egg
• 320g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250ml buttermilk

For the salted caramel sauce

• 70g unsalted butter
• 50g dark soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp double cream

For the caramel glaze

• 100g fondant icing sugar
• 1 tbsp salted caramel sauce (see above)
• 100g toffee popcorn, to decorate
• Sugar stars, to sprinkle

For the caramel filling

• 350g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 60g unsalted butter, softened

1. To start you will need 2 greased 12-hole whoopie pie tins or a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C /gas mark 4.

2. To make the pies, gently heat 100g of the caster sugar in a saucepan, until melted and light golden. Do not stir the sugar whilst it is melting but watch very closely as it will burn easily. As it starts to melt, swirl the pan and when melted, carefully add 100 ml cold water. Continue to heat until the sugar dissolves in the water and then add the salt. Cream together the butter and the remaining caster sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric hand-held mixer, until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and add the buttermilk. Mix until incorporated. Reheat the salted caramel water until hot and whisk into the mixture.

3. Put a large spoonful of mixture into each hole in the prepared tins or pipe or spoon 24 mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave to stand for 10 minutes then bake each tin in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, let cool slightly then turn out onto a wire rack.

4. To make the salted caramel sauce, put the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt in a saucepan and warm over gentle heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream to the pan and heat for a few minutes more. Set aside.

5. To make the caramel glaze, put the icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of the salted caramel sauce and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan. Warm over gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Spoon the glaze over 12 of the pie halves, wait a few minutes and spoon over a second coat. This is best done whilst the pies are still warm and on the wire rack, with greaseproof paper underneath to catch any drips. Pile pieces of popcorn on top of the glaze and sprinkle with sugar stars. Leave the glaze to set.

6. To make the caramel filling, whisk together the icing sugar, milk, butter and remaining salted caramel sauce in a bowl, until light and creamy. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe a swirl onto the unglazed pie halves. If you do not have a piping bag, spread the filling over the pie halves with a round-bladed knife. Top with the glazed and popcorn-decorated pie halves and your whoopie pies are ready to enjoy.