Pomegranate and White Chocolate Whoopie Pies

I know pomegranates are good for me - and that they taste delightful - yet I rarely eat them. I really have no explanation as to why that is, besides the fact that pomegranates can be a little more expensive than, say, bananas, which I buy every single week.

Thankfully, the folks at POM Wonderful care about my health - and kindly sent me a case of their juice.

Their hope was that I would come up with several delicious recipes using their 100% pomegranate juice. Ideas have been bouncing around my head for about a week now, but on Sunday, when the weather was dreary and my oven was eager to be turned on, I decided to make whoopie pies (I blame the episode of "Dessert First" I watched, where Anne Thornton baked traditional whoopie pies). I knew that pomegranate went well with white chocolate, so I did a quick Google search, found a few recipe ideas, and improvised the filling by adding 3 tablespoons of POM Wonderful, about a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest, and a little salt.

Pomegranate and White Chocolate Whoopie Pies 

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Yields: 6 large whoopie pies 

Cookies:

-½ cup butter, melted

-1 cup sugar

-½ teaspoon baking soda

-¼ teaspoon salt

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-2 cups all-purpose flour

-½ cup buttermilk

-White Chocolate and Pomegranate Filling (see below)

Directions for cookies:

1.)   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease and flour liberally); set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix butter with sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined. Spoon dough with an ice cream scoop, 1 inch apart onto prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until tops are set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread the flat side of half of the cookies with the White Chocolate and Pomegranate Filling. Top with the remaining cookies, flat sides down. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate and Pomegranate Filling:

-1/4 cup white chocolate chips

-1/4 cup heavy cream

-1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

-¼ cup melted better

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

-4 cups powdered sugar

-3 tbsp. POM Wonderful

-1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

-Pinch of salt

Directions for filling: In a small saucepan, combine the white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate nearly melts. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture; then add pomegranate juice, lemon zest and salt. Mix well. Spread on cakes with a knife, once cakes have cooled completely. 

All I can say is wow. The fluffy, vanilla cookies complemented the slight tartness from the pomegranate filling so well - I'm pretty sure my eyes were watering as I was inhaling one of them. The filling is intensely sweet, so next time I'll probably use less powdered sugar - but all in all, these babies were decadent, and the slightly citrus filling would be perfect for a dessert on a hot summer day.

What recipe would you make with POM Wonderful?

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