Root Beer Float Gobs

Directions

1. 1
   1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-by-13-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2
   2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until they're evenly distributed.
3. 3
   3. In another large bowl, cream the sugar and butter with a mixer on medium speed. Add the egg yolks to the creamed ingredients, and mix on medium. Then add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix on medium-high until the mixture looks like dense pudding.
4. 4
   4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the egg mixture, mixing on medium speed after each addition. Then add the sour cream, and mix well. Add the root beer extract and mix on high. Add more sour cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the batter is too thick.
5. 5
   5. Using a tablespoon or pastry bag, drop 1 1/2-inch rounds of batter on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between each round. Bake them approximately 8 minutes, or until the gob domes have risen. Remove the gobs to a wire rack to cool.
6. 6
   1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed.
7. 7
   2. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, sour cream, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the confectioners' sugar, and beat on medium-high; scrape the bowl with a spatula to reincorporate the ingredients if necessary. Taste and add another tablespoon of lemon juice if you like.
8. 8
   3. To frost the gobs, flip the baked gob domes over on a cookie sheet and match up pairs of similarly shaped domes. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the flat side of an overturned dome, then place another dome on top, sandwich-style. Allow the gobs to fully set by refrigerating them on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour. Wrap the gobs in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.