Homemade Gobs

Growing up in western Pennsylvania allowed for fun traditions, many of which revolved around food. Most people have heard of a whoopie pie, but not everyone has heard of a gob. I recently made dessert for a co-worker who requested gobs (she also has ties to western Pennsylvania). This recipe is a combination of my mom's recipe, passed down through many generations, along with an icing recipe with variations I have found on the internet (sugarspunrun.com), plus my own experience from baking.  

Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 F.  
  2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  
  3. Cream together shortening and sugar.  
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
  5. Stir in buttermilk.  
  6. In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients and whisk together. 
  7. Prepare boiling water.  
  8. Alternately add the dry ingredients and boiling water to the creamed mixture until well combined. The mixture will resemble cake batter more than cookie batter.
  9. Drop batter by a heaping tablespoon onto lined cookie sheets, trying to keep them as uniform as possible.
  10. Bake for 5 minutes. 
  11. Remove from oven and cool completely.