One might be tempted to ask if Whoopie Pies belong in an English Kitchen. I know they are an American Invention, or more specifically Pennsylvania Dutch.

Whoopie Pies are coming in to vogue over here now though, and there are a few recipes floating about. I believe they are on the verge of becoming the new cupcake or macaron . . . but I could be wrong.



This is my recipe that I have been using for a very long time now. In fact my sister and I once both won blue ribbons at our respective county fairs by making these very same whoopie pies. I think we also each got a set of pot holders and an apron from Fry's Cocoa. It was quite a thrill at the time.



Moist, delicious and chocolatey, these are bound to become a real family favourite. You can use purchased Marshallow Cream in them or you can make the recipe for a homemade version of it, which I have included. I had a jar of marshmallow cream that needed using up so that is what I used the other day. In all honesty afterwards I wished that I had made the mousseline buttercream "marshmallow cream" instead . . . but . . . oh well.




They still went down a treat.




*Whoopie Pies*
Makes six 3 1/2 inch whoopie pies
Printable Recipe

More like little chocolate cake sandwiches rather than cookies, I don't know anyone that doesn't love these.

1.5 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao) chopped
4.2 ounces dark brown muscovado sugar (1/2 cup firmly packed)
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 TBS canola or safflower oil, room temperature
2 TBS butter, room temperature
125g flour (1 cup plus 1 1/2 TBS)
18g cocoa powder (3 TBS plus 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 fluid ounces of buttermilk (1/2 cup)

For the marshmallow filling:

50g sugar (1/4 cup)
2 TBS corn syrup or golden syrup
1 TBS water
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 TBS unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces of butter, slightly softened (1/2 cup)
1/5 ounces of icing sugar, sifted (1/4 cup plus 2 TBS)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Butter two baking sheets. Set aside.

Place the chocolate into a microwaveable bowl and melt it in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, or place it in the top of a double boiler, set over hot, not simmering water, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but still fluid.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift to remove any lumps.

Cream together the brown sugar, egg, oil and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and pale in colour.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, and beating only until just incorporated, starting on low speed and raising it only to medium speed. Scoop out in 2 TBS rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving lots of space in between.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. They are done when the tops spring back when lightly touched in the centre.

Remove the cakes to wire racks to cool.

To make the marshmallow filling: Have a pint glass heatproof measure ready. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornsyrup and water. Stir until all the sugar is moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling. Stop stirring and turn out the burner. If using an electric range, remove the pan from the heat altogether.

Beat the egg white in a mixing bowl, on high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form with the beater is raised slowly. Increase the temperature under the sugar syrup and boil until an instant read thermometer reads 120*C/248*F. Immediately transfer the sugar syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking.

Beat the syrup into the meringue in a steady stream, trying to avoid letting the syrup hit the beaters as they will spin it onto the sides of the bowl. Lower the sped slightly and continue to beat until the outside of the bowl no longer feels hot. Beat in the 1 TBS of butter until smooth and then beat in the vanilla. Chil for 9 to 10 minutes, until it is cool, but still soft.

In a clean bowl, beat the 4 ounces of butter along with the powdered sugar until soft and creamy. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is very light in texture. Lowser the speed to medium and add all the meringue, beating it in until incorporated and the buttercream is smooth.

Place about 3 gently roundes tablespoons of cream between two cakes to make a sandwich, pressing down slightly so that the cream reaches the edges of the cakes. Repeat with the remaining cakes.



and then . . . they were gone.

I know that all of my North American friends cooked  their Thanksgiving turkeys yesterday.  I also helped to cook aThanksgiving Dinner this year for all of the Missionaries in our District.  Not too many leftovers here, but I know that many of you have refrigerators bulging with leftovers, and that some of you will be scratching your heads and trying to come up with new and interesting things to do with them.  Here are some tasty ideas this morning to help you use up some of those scrummy leftovers. Of course you could just have a reheat of the leftovers, but it's also nice to dress them up in a few different ways too!

You Brits and Canucks might want to bookmark this page as Christmas is less than a month away and you 'll be wanting to figure out what to do with your Christmas Turkey leftovers then! (And yes, this is a repeat from last year.  This stuff just never gets old.)

  

I am feeling a tiny bit under the weather today so I hope that you don't mind a repost from about 2 1/2 years ago now.  Nobody minds an impromptu tea party do they? 

I thought not . . .  so here we go.   And then we had tea . . .



These cold dismal and dreary January days can get one a bit down after a while. Day after day of drizzle or snow . . . very little sun . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's one way to perk them up and bring a bit of sunshine into your life! Have a tea party! You don't need anything special . . . or even to invite a whole bunch of people over. Some of the best tea parties of all happen when there's just two of you and a dog!



All you need is a table spread with a fine cloth and some tea . . . in a pot of course, (today we had blackberry and mint and it was delicious!) and cups and saucers.

The perfect afternoon tea should begin with some delicious savouries . . . finger sandwiches, sausage rolls, little toasts, savoury pastries . . . followed with scones (if you wish) and a selection of fancies and cakes.



I decided early on during this particularly dreary day that I was going to treat Todd and I to a traditional English Afternoon tea party. He had no idea what I was up to, as he sat upstairs engrossed in his war games on the computer.



Things don't always go to plan though . . . do they. The dog mischeviously ate half of my first Victoria Sponge when my back was turned. Bad doggie. I seized the engine on my new baby sized food processor, chopping the glace fruit for the florentines. Bad idea. Chop it by hand.



Never mind we got there in the end and Todd was so surprised when I called him down to lunch and he saw what I had been up to.



We sat there smiling and sipping and nibbling . . . all was right with the world, drizzle or not, dog eaten cakes . . . it was fun, plain and simple.



Don't forget to use your pinkies!



*Finger Sandwiches*
makes 18 to 24
Printable Recipe

What would afternoon tea be without a plate of tasty sandwiches? (Choose 3 of the below fillings)

12 thin slices of white or wholemeal bread, crusts removed
(I just buy the bread that already has the crusts removed,
easy peasy, lemon squeasy)
room temperature butter, for spreading
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired

For the egg and cress filling:
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
a handful of mustard cress

For the Gentleman's Morsels:
1/4 pound shaved roasted ham
apricot jam, seived
Dijon mustard

For the Roast Beef:
1/4 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
horseradish mayonnaise
a handful of rocket leaves

For the Parma Ham and Fig filling:
1/4 pound of parma ham
1 ripe fig
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
handful of rocket leaves

For the Stilton and Pear filling:
50g of Stilton cheese, thinly sliced (1/4 pound)
1 ripe firm pear



To cut sandwiches, lay your hand on top of the sandwich and lightly press down. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut diagonally into quarters or lengthways into 3 fingers.

For the egg and cress sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, egg and season with some black pepper, folding together well. Spread evenly on half the slices of bread. Sprinkle with the cress and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.



To make the Gentlemen's Morsels., thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with seived apricot jam. Spread the other 2 with Dijon mustard. Lay the ham evenly over top of 2 slices and top with the other 2. Cut as above.

For the Roast Beef, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with the horseradish mayonnaise. Top with the roast beef and season to taste. Sprinkle with the rocket and top with the other 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.

For the Parma Ham and Fig sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread and fold ham on top of two of them. Cut the fig into thin wedges, remove and discard the skin and then arrange the wedges on top of the ham. Whisk the vinegar and oil together. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the figs. Top with rocket and the remaining slices of buttered bread and cut as above.

To make the Stilton and Pear sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread. Arrange the stilton over 2 slices of the bread. Slice the pear into thin wedges, removing and discarding the core, then arrange on top of the cheese. Season with black pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread and cut as above.



*Dark and White Chocolate Florentines*
Makes about 24
Printable Recipe

Sticky, crisp, chewy, gooey. Moreishly addictive.

50g of butter (3 1/2 TBS)
50g of caster sugar (2 TBS)
3 TBS double cream
25g of flaked almonds (1/4 cup)
75g of mixed nuts, chopped (Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) 3/4 cup
4 glace cherries, chopped
50g of mixed glace fruits (apricots, pineapple, peel, angelica) chopped (1/3 cup)
25g of plain flour (1 heaped TBS)
50g of white chocolate
(2 ounces)
50g of dark chocolate
(2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Gently heat the butter, sugar and cream together until the butter melts. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Stir in the nuts, cherries, fruit and flour. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and gently press back the edges with a rounded knife to keep a round shape. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before carefully peeling off the paper and setting on a wire rack to cool completely.

Break the white and dark chocolates into individual bowls. Melt carefully in the microwave without over-heating. (Be careful as white chocolate burns easily.) Alternatively melt in bowls over simmering water. Spread over the bottoms of the florentines, coating half with white and half with dark. Let set before serving.



Ohhh . . . doesn't she have a longing and innocent look on her face? I think half a cake is more than enough don't you?