Whoopie .. pies and Vanilla

Chocolate and Vanilla in any combination is terrific, but when it is combined in a biscuity cake sandwiching soft folds of whipped vanilla cream it is heavenly. Any good quality vanilla paste would do for this Whoopie Pie recipe; however, I do have a preference for Ndali vanilla, which my sister introduced me to several years ago. It is a little more expensive than other vanilla, but not much .. and to be truthful ,any really great cook will tell you that half the taste experience is in the quality of the ingredients, so the little bit extra is well worth it. Given a choice I prefer fair-trade and organic products, but I am also realistic in that some ingredients are not always available or affordable. With one of the chapters in the book dedicated to vanilla I wanted to get the very best from the flavour so I contacted Lulu, the owner of the Ndali Vanilla estate in Africa to see if she would help me out. I was absolutely delighted when she agreed. Originally from nearby Oxford she has an amazing story to tell, inheriting the vanilla plantation out of the blue about seven years ago. Whichever vanilla you buy it’s worth checking out her site.
As a box of darkest, sweetest delicious vanilla pods arrived straight from Uganda, arrived it was just in time to play with the taste combinations for the latest must have Whoopie Pie phenomenon from America. Originating from the Amish people in Pennsylvania, women made these chocolate mounds with butter icing sandwiched between them from their husbands. The husbands would be so pleased to find it in their lunch box they would shout whoopie .. which was exactly what I shouted as I was opening the beautiful box packed with Ndali vanilla pods. Whoopie!

Chocolate and Vanilla Whoopie Pie Recipe

Ingredients


120g of butter
200g of vanilla sugar or caster sugar & 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 medium eggs
280grams of SR flour 4 large heaped tbsp of cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
250ml of buttermilk

Filling
1 Level teaspoon of vanilla paste
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
300 ml of double cream

Method

Preheat heat the oven to Gas 4/350 F/ 180C
Grease two baking trays.
In a bowl combine the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy and then add the eggs. Add the dry ingredients and the Buttermilk and combine the ingredients. You should be left with a relatively stiff mixture ready to spoon onto the baking tray in round bite size blobs. To get 16 pies you will need 32 of these.
Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes. They are a cross between a biscuit and a sponge, however there is a fine line between biscuit and burnt because of the high sugar content, so don’t leave them in too long. I found a much better bite to them if I left them in the oven to cool, but if you haven’t time transfer cool on a wire rack.
Add in the teaspoon of vanilla paste and icing sugar to the cream and whip. Make sure the cream is a nice thick consistency before sandwiching a dollop between the chocolate cakes. There you have a taste of America - 16 chocolate and vanilla Whoopie Pies.

Chocolate, Vanilla and Cardamom Biscotti.

I've been playing with Cardamon again. In fact I made six lots of these just to get the right balance.
The cardamom merges together with rich cocoa and soft vanilla. This terrific combination both compliments and exaggerates the deeper flavours of coffee like no other biscuit I know.

A traditional, twice baked, hard Italian biscuit, these fragrant biscotti can also be served with fruit fool or ice-cream. Alternatively, they make an elegant sweet for a supper party. The crunch of the almonds works brilliantly with plate of baked figs drizzled in honey and a slice of creamy gorgonzola. It’s an effortless yet classic blend.

The final flavour is significantly improved using freshly ground cardamom. If you have the opportunity, grind your pods up with a pestle and mortar, discarding the outer green husks.
What I really adore about these biscuits, is the fact that it takes less than ten minutes to have them made and in the oven. They are super fast, super simple, sophistication. What’s more, a jar full makes a handsome present. They store for a week or two, and improve with age.
Cooking & prep time 50 minutes
Clear up time 10 minutes
Ingredients

300 grams Whole Almonds
350 grams Self Raising Flour
50 grams of Cocoa Powder
200 grams Vanilla sugar OR caster sugar with vanilla essence
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 level teaspoon of course sea salt.
1 level teaspoon Ground Cardamom
6 Large Eggs
75grams Chopped Roasted Hazelnuts

Method
Preheat the oven 180 Celsius/ gas mark 4/ 350 Fahrenheit
To add a good crunch to the almonds gently roast them a heavy based frying pan. Take care as they burn easily.
In a bowl mix the sugar, flour, sifted cocoa powder, cardamom and salt together.
Beat eggs, (vanilla essence if necessary) and milk in a food mixer then slowly add the dry mix to form a loose dough adding the roasted almonds at the end, and stirring them in gently .. you don’t want to break them up.
Transfer the mix on to a large greased baking tray making two logs. These should be 10 inches long and no more than 4 inches wide. Leave a gap between the logs as they expand. Sprinkle evenly with hazelnuts.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Next, to avoid the biscuit breaking apart as you cut through the almonds use a very sharp knife cut straight down, with the heel of your hand pressing down on the top of the knife. Don’t saw. Cut into 3/4 inch portions and return to the oven. Toast for 10 – 12 minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to overcook them; they need leaving on a wire rack for an hour or two to dry out completely. Transfer to an air tight container.
Makes 30 - 35.