Pie in the sky By a landslide, BDN readers choose a winning whoopie

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Brother Don of Friars’ Bakeshop on Central Street in Bangor is, first and foremost, a man of God. But he’s also a man of bread. And cookies. And muffins. And that sweet Maine confection that must have been blessed by the Lord himself – the almighty whoopie pie.

The Franciscan Friars’ whoopie pies were selected the best in Maine by Bangor Daily News readers, in a write-in contest that ran April 12-25. And not only did you vote them the best – the Friars won by a landslide, getting a whopping (or is that “whooping”?) 52 individual votes, easily outdistancing the nearest competition.

Although Brother Don and his partner in the bakery, Brother Ken, won’t share the actual recipe used to make the winning whoopies, they will let us in on its origins, which are steeped in Maine history.

“It’s a recipe that I got from a friend, that supposedly originated at the Bar Harbor House, which burned in 1947,” said Brother Don, referring to the grand old Mount Desert Island hotel that was leveled by the blaze that scorched half of Bar Harbor. “It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you’d find at a high tea, but then again, it’s such a great recipe it probably didn’t matter. We use a Toll House cookie recipe from the Bar Harbor House too.”

Before he took his vows of obedience, celibacy and poverty, Brother Don studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. Needless to say, he knows his baking.

“It’s not just an arithmetic formula,” he said. “A few seconds one way or the other makes all the difference. Too soon, and the cookies fall flat. Too long, and they’re like Oreos. Baking is chemistry. You tweak it to get the texture and flavor right.”

For instance, Brother Don swapped Dutch cocoa for bittersweet cocoa, to give it a darker, more chocolaty flavor. He uses the finest grain confectioner’s sugar he can get for the filling, and he uses raw eggs to give it extra fluffiness.

“I think most fillings are too sweet or granular,” said Brother Don. “Ours is actually a French butter cream. And in the past, the fillings always had raw eggs, which is a big boo-boo now. But it really does make it better.”

Don’t even think about the calories and fat in one of the Friars’ whoopies – just eat it. Go to the bakeshop, get your pie, a cup of the delicious, Maine-roasted Rock City Coffee that the brothers brew, sit down amid the statuary and piped-in choir music, and enjoy. No matter what creed you follow, you’ll be thanking the heavens that such a treat exists.

Besides, unlike some other commercially available whoopie pies, these ones are of a manageable size, and are actually suitable for eating all in one sitting.

“Whoopie pies that taste bad are usually the size of your head,” said Brother Don. “And the most offensive ones are those peanut butter or pumpkin flavors. I don’t know what those are. Those are some kinds of mongrels.”

Since making his first batch of whoopies more than 10 years ago, Brother Don has had to up the number of pies he makes each morning. After an article ran in Men’s Journal several years ago, proclaiming their heavenly goodness, he was making up to 80 dozen pies – all of which sold out well before noon.

“A 10-pound batch of batter makes 20 dozen whoopies,” he said. “After the write up in Men’s Journal, I was making 40-pound batches of batter and running out of pies by 10 a.m.”

He’s got a personal connection to his whoopies, too – Brother Don has two daughters, one of whom served in Iraq. What was the first thing she wanted, upon returning to American shores? Take a wild guess.

“My daughter was on her way back from Iraq, and said her plane was going to stop at BIA for just a few hours,” said Brother Don. “She said, ‘Dad, everyone wants you to bring whoopie pies.’ So I made up a big batch and brought them to the airport. They were gone in literally seconds.”

Brother Don’s philosophy regarding baking is to keep it simple – make a few things perfectly, instead of a million different things that are all just OK. Hence the hundreds of loyal customers, who come back weekly (sometimes daily) for his treats.

“Aside from bread, all we make are blueberry muffins, cookies and whoopie pies. Sometimes cinnamon buns,” he said. “Why make 30 different items? Just give me a few really good things.”

Here’s what readers said about Friars’ Bakehouse whoopie pies

“I am very fussy about my whoopie pies. Their whoopie pies meet my expectations in flavor, size and density, and the filling is exquisite.” – Roxine Miller, Bangor

“I ordered what was the last whoopie pie, and had to hurry, as directly behind me another customer was there to buy one. The shell was moist, and not like the sort that is not baked properly, setting too long before wrapping, which leaves the whoopie pie shell with a ‘dryness’ to it and makes for hard consumption.” – Mark Runnells, Bangor

“Not only are the pies very plump, deeply chocolate and the filling generous and creamy, the Friars themselves dress in a whoopie pie-like color theme of brown and white. What more could you ask for?” -Pat Claus, Orrington

“I am a lifelong chocoholic, and have sampled whoopie pies from Aroostook County to York County, and no one makes the perfect combination of dense cookies and creamy filling like the Franciscan Friars do.” – Peggy Markson, Orono

The Runners-Up

1. The Red Barn Diner and Campground, Holden (843-6011)

18 votes went to the Red Barn, a campground and eatery on Route 1 in Holden. Actually, it seemed more like 18 votes went to the whoopies, and to baker Sara Thompson of Brewer, as most readers took care to mention her specifically as the true secret to the whoopie wonders at the Red Barn.

“Her filling is definitely the best I have ever encountered since I discovered the mystery of whoopie pies when we moved up here five summers ago,” said Sue Shane of Eddington. “It’s simple, crisp and sinfully sweet without sending you into sugar overload.”

2. Sheila’s Kitchen of Maine, Cumberland (829-6542)

Sheila Stevenson took her whoopie pies national a few years back, specializing in bite-sized creations. She makes lots of interesting flavors – peanut butter, espresso, peppermint, zucchini and pumpkin – but her tiny, traditional pies are her best-seller. Sheila’s Kitchen received 15 votes from readers.

“I have never tasted anything so delicious. They are small enough to assuage any feelings of guilt, but rich enough to satisfy the most ardent of chocoholics. Made with farm-fresh, local ingredients, their superiority cannot be matched,” said Devan McClenny of York.

3. Montes International Catering, Bangor

Montes International Catering, upon hearing of our contest, attached notes to each of their “big-ass whoopie pies” that they sell out of their Columbia Street cafe, telling customers to write in and vote. It worked, as 11 of their biggest fans told us how much they loved their whoopies.

“The cake is fresh and never gets gooey on the outside, and the filling is out of this world,” said Molly Stevens of Orrington.

“My only complaint is that they are so big it is impossible to eat on your own or in one sitting,” said Mary-Anne Saxl of Surry.

4. Garden Cafe, Bangor

We received eight votes for this hidden downtown Bangor gem, located on Harlow Street. In fact, some of our Bangor Daily News employees weighed in on their undying love for the Garden Cafe whoopie pie: “David, Sharon, Jake and the gang at the Garden Cafe make the best whoopie pie because everything they make over there is made with love,” said Bridgit Cayer, a graphic designer with the BDN. “Their whoopie pies are as sweet as they are: always make you feel good and never let you down.

5. (tie) Isamax Snacks, Gardiner

True Confections, Brewer (907-6865)

Isamax and True Confections each tied with six votes. Isamax, which has been featured on the Food Network, sells its Wicked Whoopies in stores across the state, with many exotic flavors in addition to the traditional pie.

“One of my weaknesses has always been Whoopie Pies. I have sampled dozens over the years. In the last few years, I have settled on the Wicked Whoopie,” said Scott Johnson of Bangor. “I have been impressed with the quality, consistency and freshness of [Isamax’s] product.”

Beth Haines of Winterport had this to say about True Confections, a whoopie baker out of Brewer who sells at the European market every Saturday on Buck Street in Bangor, and at the Co-op in Belfast: “What I really like is the real butter-cream filling, made with real butter and Maine maple syrup,” she said. “Not overly sweet and no disgusting shortening.”