ABOUT | bakingwhoopie

Simply Sublime Whoopie Pies.

In 2009, I was living in Los Angeles and my PR and marketing consulting business, On the Rox Media, was going through a slow patch. So naturally, I decided it was the perfect time to start a whoopie pie company. Yup. In the middle of a recession.

There was some logic behind the madness. Cupcakes were everywhere, and as a New Englander, I had a hunch that whoopie pies could be the next cupcake. Most people in Los Angeles had never even heard of them, which made me think there might be an opportunity. Then, just as I was contemplating the idea, The New York Times ran an article suggesting whoopie pies might indeed be having a moment. I took it as a sign.

And so began the market research, recipe development, experimenting with flavor combinations, countless taste tests and putting together a business plan. What I didn't have was a name. After wracking my brain and bouncing ideas off fellow PR and marketing people, restaurant owners and chefs, inspiration finally struck in the most glamorous of places: my bedroom, while I was vacuuming. Baking Whoopie was born.

Nine months later, Baking Whoopie was selected for the 2010 Neiman Marcus Holiday Epicure Catalog. And here's the part I'm especially proud of: the decision was based solely on the quality and taste of the product. I didn't have an "in." Nobody made an introduction. I simply went for it. That experience reinforced something I've always believed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You'll never know if you don't try. Or, as one of my favorite bands, The Psychedelic Furs, put it in "Love My Way," you can never win or lose if you don't run the race.

Neiman Marcus was quite an education, and a very positive one. They wanted Baking Whoopie back the following year. But after more than 300 orders in six weeks (approximately 7,800 whoopie pies), I was exhausted. Remember that old Dunkin' Donuts commercial, "Time to make the donuts"? That was pretty much my life. Nonstop baking, filling, packaging and shipping. Plenty of sweat equity, with an emphasis on the sweat.

So, what exactly is a whoopie pie? Think of it as a cake sandwich with a little cachet and a bit of history. It's a classic New England dessert from Maine, (although Pennsylvania Dutch country also lays claim to creating the original). Who was first? I'll let them fight that one out. What matters to me is how a whoopie pie tastes. And there are plenty of them out there, from homemade versions to mass-produced varieties designed to sit on a shelf for a very, very long time.

Baking Whoopie's are different. Great ingredients make the difference. No chemical preservatives, no shortcuts, just really good whoopie pies made from scratch that are not too sweet and have a sublime mouth feel. They're not the least expensive dessert you could buy, but they're worth every penny.

Cheers!!
Roxy

Roxy Rubell