Johnstown/Gobs Snack Cake (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: live in, cost, stores)

[eagle7]

I was born/raised in Johnstown,Penna & my all time favorite snack cake was GOBS.Gobs are made at the yost bakery on scalp ave in Johnstown.They are sold at various stores throughout the city.GOBS are yellow cream filled round cakes that are absolutely delicious.On the 2.75 ozs.package is a drawing of a sailor boy with red hair & a white sailor cap.Hes holding the gob in his hand & the writing above him says "they eat'em up".I still have the package & im looking at it now.My aunt sent me some out here to so.ca about 7 yrs ago.I plan to call the bakery & see if they will send me a dozen out here providing the cost isnt too high.My parents were in pa last sept & failed to get me some.So....does any one else like gobs ?

[pinetar10]

I used to eat gobs. Can you get gobs anywhere, or just around johnstown? Often times, you can find amish made gobs in convenience stores in small western pa towns.

[Ohiogirl81]

I've only ever had the homemade kind. My grandmother made the best!

[Dawne]

I never heard of them, but they sound like something Little Debbie makes, or is it Drake's? You could probably find something similar, but I know it would never be the same as the original.

[Ohiogirl81]

You can use any box cake, really, to make them, but the filling is key. Here's Grandma's gob filling recipe:

5T flour
1 c. milk

Shake or whisk together until flour is well-incorporated (no lumps!) then cook over medium heat in a saucepan until thick. Remove from heat and cool.

Then add:
1/2 C butter
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
1t vanilla

Beat until the sugar doesn't crunch anymore (or you can use powdered sugar but the consistency will be different) and fill the gobs.

[eagle7]

Heres some info.'Origin of the gob' http://www.bookofjoe.com/2006/01/origin_of_the_g.html

[wanneroo]

Up here they call them whoopie pies. I was first exposed to Gobs as a kid when I visited relatives that live in the Indiana-Johnstown area. I even remember my aunt freezing them and then mailing a box to us in far away places we lived.

Good ones are hard to find.

[Dawne]

I looked at the website link from Eagle7 and see that these are indeed what we call Amish Whoopie Pies. They're incredibly delicious, and come in many varieties, although the chocolate cake with white icing filling is most popular. My personal favorite is a yellow cake with a light chocolate icing filling. Yum!!!

[ScranBarre]

Whoopie pies?!!! Ahhh...yesss...(drools uncontrollably all over keyboard). They had some really good ones from an Amish family at the Wilkes-Barre farmers' market, but now that it's winter I haven't been able to find them anywhere up here in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

[Dawne]

Our Weis Markets has them in the bakery. I'm not sure about other grocery stores. Might be worth a look.