The Maine Dish
Whoopie pie donuts in Skowhegan: Worth the detour
“Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do? -Homer Simpson
Fourteen miles from Exit 133 on the 95 is an unassuming takeout place called Al’s Pizza. Inside you’ll find what you’d probably expect from any similar shop anywhere in the country: a menu full of hot and cold subs, steak sandwiches, and pizza. Nothing is fancy about Al’s, but all of the food is solid.
What Al’s is really known for in these parts is their whoopie pies. But in addition to their award-winning whoopie pies, Al’s makes DONUT WHOOPIE PIES, friends, and believe me when I say they are worth adding a few minutes to your trip and a few inches to your thighs if you’re ever buzzing up the pike in central Maine.
Dog: “I can haz donut whoopie pie mum?”
Erin: “When you haz chocolate chips last year mum pay $350.”
I’m a fairly critical whoopie pie connoisseur. They have to be just so for me to bother with them at all, and “just so” for Erin Dow is a fairly dry but tender cake that isn’t too chocolatey; rather, it should taste like it was made with cocoa. The frosting needs to be shortening-based with just a little grit from the sugar. If it’s too creamy, it’s wrong. Al’s whoopie pies get it right.
Now for donuts…well, people close to me know I will sacrifice a limb for a good donut, but my criteria is similarly strict. I want a cake donut with a crusty outside and a firm cake interior. I like my donuts lightly sugared. Well, Al’s gets chocolate donuts right too.
When Al’s puts their perfect whoopie pie frosting inside one of their perfect chocolate donuts, the result is out of control. Somehow they’re incredibly light. This is the kind of over-the-top fat bomb that could go so horribly wrong, but these donut whoopie pies are a whole lot of right. They’re worth the detour.
20 Waterville Rd
Skowhegan, ME 04976-1656
tel: 207-474-3100
// About the Author
Erin Dow
Erin Dow is a caterer who used to cook for rock stars. Now she finds herself desperately trying to persuade her three kids to just try one bite of what she made for dinner. She's the Expert Chef for Maine-based Guiding Stars® and she consults with the state's public schools on how to serve healthy whole foods that kids will actually eat. And when Erin’s not researching, preparing, serving, photographing, teaching, or writing about food, you’ll probably find her in a restaurant eating a meal cooked by someone else. So she just might be the girl you need to know if you're looking for recommendations, advice, or insight into Maine's food scene. She's also very knowledgeable about firearms, in case you were wondering if she's a real Mainer.