As we continue our trip down memory lane reminiscing about our favorite childhood treats, we heaved a wistful sigh of nostalgia when we paused to consider the Whoopie Pie. They are as much a part of childhood as carpet squares and after-school specials.

Whoopie pies are believed to be a by-product. Legend has it that Amish women in Pennsylvania would back off dollops of surplus cake batter, then make little sandwiches with them, layering frosting in between. Excited farmers would cry out “whoopie!” if they found one of the treats in their lunch pails. Or so the story goes.

These baked goodies are so much a part of the American sweets vernacular, they’ve been co-opted by  various major producers: Little Debbie’s snack cakes, Hostess Suzy Qs and Oreo Cakesters all claim provenance from this traditional snack.

So it was only a matter of time before someone took them to the next level. Here in San Francisco, our pal Steve Gdula has been selling his gobs (as they’re called in Western Pennsylvania) as a street food since 2009 under the moniker Gobba Gobba Hey. Starting out with the traditional chocolate cakes with vanilla filling, he branched out into more inspired flavor combinations such as orange-cardamom with saffron filling and matcha green tea with lemongrass-ginger filling (pictured).

Now, Gdula’s got a gob cookbook out, comprising 52 of his original recipes including the orange-cardamom, matcha green tea and many more. We can’t wait to get in the kitchen and start gobbing to our heart’s — and mouth’s — content.