Whippet (Whippet Good)

I love Canada.  I also love the awesome things that come from Canada.  All the good HGTV shows.  k.d. lang.  Poutine.  Beavers.  The list of Canadian things I love expanded this week when I was asked to create a unique birthday cake: a giant Whippet.

What's a Whippet? you may be asking yourself. Well, according to the Wikipedia page of chocolate-coated marshmallow treats: "Whippet cookies are produced in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They consist of a biscuit base topped with marshmallow-like filling and then coated in a hard shell of pure chocolate. Whippet cookies first came to the market in 1927... They are currently available with both dark chocolate and milk chocolate coatings, and with several flavors of artificial fruit jam filling inside the marshmallow-like filling."  In other words, Whippets are like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens--a few of my favorite things.

After some consultation with my client, we decided on a ten-inch cookie featuring a shortbread base, raspberry jelly, marshmallow, and a dark chocolate coating.  Here's how I put it together:

1. Bake shortbread in a 10-inch cake pan (lined with parchment paper).  I made the cookie about 3/4" thick and it took about 35 minutes to bake.

2. Make a batch of homemade marshmallows and pour onto parchment paper dusted with confectioner's sugar and corn starch.  I drew a 10" circle on the back of the parchment to use as a guide.

3. Melt 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

4. Spread a think layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cookie and allow to set (I froze for about 15 minutes). 

5. Flip onto a wire cooling rack.  Spread about 1 cup of raspberry jelly or jam onto the cookie, leaving about an inch border.

6.  Place giant marshmallow on top.

7. Pour about half of the remaining chocolate over the top, using a small spatula to spread and get full coverage on the top and sides.  Pour remaining chocolate over top to make a smooth and pretty finish.

8. Allow to set in the fridge at least an hour before serving or (sniff) handing over to paying customer.

I'm sad that I didn't get to see the inside and/or taste the whole thing put together.  Nevertheless, it was a ton of fun.  I think I'm going to try my hand at some other homemade/over-sized cookie/candy bar creations.  Any suggestions?  I promise to attempt and write a post about your responses!

Keep it sweet.

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