Silver Springs, FL — As part of my never-ending search for high-calorie, low nutritional-value snack foods, on a recent road trip I discovered Whoopie Pies. The name, of course, is irresistible — everyone needs a little whoopie in their life, right?
What is a whoopie pie, you ask?
“A whoopie pie is two cake-like cookies with creamy frosting spread between them,” according to Jane Waugh. Jane is something of an expert: Sweet Jane’s Whoopie Pies and Candies, her shop on the edge of the Ocala National Forest in Florida, has sold over 26,000 of the sweet treats since opening in 2008.
Miss Jane learned to bake the delectable dessert 40 years ago in Maine under her mother’s guidance. The recipe for the hamburger-sized pies originated among Pennsylvania’s Amish, but they’ve become a comfort-food staple in the state of Maine.
Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting is the traditional recipe, but Miss Jane bakes a seemingly endless and constantly-changing variety, everything from Pumpkin Cream Cheese to Carrot Cake. Ever the rebel, I tried the German Chocolate version, and loved it. Jane makes everything from scratch — from the frosting, to the cookies for her whoopie cookies, to the ice cream for ice cream whoopie pies. She also sells homemade candies as well as commercial, old-fashioned candy (think Mallo Cups, Mary Janes and Necco Wafers). The shop is located on the grounds of Wilderness RV Park along US 40 on the western edge of Ocala National Forest in Silver Springs.
If you’ll be in Daytona Beach for Bike Week (March 4 – 13, 2011), come on over for a little whoopie. “We get a lot of bikers in,” Miss Jane says. “The tell me they make a whoopie pie stop a part of their ride.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sweet Jane’s Candy Store
2774 NE 102nd Ave Rd
Silver Springs, Florida 34488
Phone: 352-625-1048
I grew up eating factory-made whoopie pies (New Jersey, whaddaya gonna do?) — and the first time I had a genuine, mouth-watering homemade whoopie pie, I could NOT believe the difference. I don’t have any Daytona plans on the horizon, but if I find myself anywhere near Silver Springs, I’ll be sure to stop by and sample her wares as well. :)
So… are the pies named after Whoopie Goldberg, or is Whoopie named after the pies?
They look very tempting!
I haven’t had a Whoppie Pie in ages. I need to run to the store and grab one!
Stop by and visit Sweet Jane’s. The best maine whoopie Pies in the State of Florida.
For the record Sweet Jane (Jane Lockhart Waugh) was born a rasied in Maine. The State of Maine is trying to make Whoopie Pies the State Dessert. The shipping on my wonderful Whoopie Pies are pretty reasonable. So order up. http://www.sweetjaneswhoopiepies.com Come visit Sweet Janes this Bike Week 2011
YUm!!! Pumpkin whoppie pies sound delicious! Ah, Silver Springs brings me back to summers in middle school. We would go every year. love!
Yes, these whoopie pies look quite tempting. I’ll bet the pumpkin cream cheese is delicious. I hope that Jane’s business has a sharp increase in revenue due to your posting!
My kind of pie, definitely. When I move back to Miami this winter, I have a lot of Florida travel to do. Enjoy Daytona biker week and congratulations on the assignment you mentioned on TBX. Will we be able to read the finished piece?
I was born and raised in Maine. Whoopie pies were very much a part of my childhood. Now living in Florida I have taught my wife to make them. She does great but they are not like Grams…
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a Whoopie pie before, but with a name like that I’m guessing they sell a lot of them!
THose look really, really good. Pumpkin and cream cheese? YES, PLEASE!!
That pumpkin cream cheese pie looks yummy. I’m a big fan of anything with cream cheese in it!
These pies look absolutely delicious
Thanks Renee, as I said, we could all use a little whoopie!
Glen,
At first glance, I thought you were talking about pies that were a close cousin to moon pies, but no contest….these are decadent! I like the fact that you can order online and they only cost $2.50. Thanks for sharing this treat!