Vanilla Extract vs Vanilla Essence

When I use vanilla in a recipe I always use vanilla extract.This means the flavour has been extracted from the vanilla pod so its?natural.It's about 5-8 euro a bottle but it will last a fair bit.

I don't use vanilla essence as its not natural and doesn't give a authentic flavour.
When making a icing I feel it can split the mixture because it's a little watery.

Chocolate whoopie pies

With 4 th July coming up I thought I'd make a American treat today.
Whoopie pies are the new cupcake, they haven't taken off as well in Ireland yet but all the famous cupcake bakeries are making them and they are flying off the shelves. They are a spongy biscuit like sandwiches with a soft icing in the middle.They are lush with a cup of tea or just munched on their own. I'm making chocolate flavour but once I play around with the recipe I'll post different flavours.

Donna

Makes 10-12 sandwiched whoopsies. 20-24 halves.

Ingredients:

For the Sponge

1 large egg

150g Caster Sugar

125g Plain yoghurt

25ml whole milk

¼ tsp vanilla essence

75g melted unsalted butter

200g Plain Flour

80g Cocoa Powder

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp baking powder

Filling:

170g unsalted butter

280g icing sugar

Drop of food colouring

Drop of vanilla extract

Method:

If you have an electronic mixer you may use it I don't so I used a whisk and they turned out just as good, cream the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Pour the yoghurt, milk and vanilla essence into a jug and stir together then add to the beaten egg and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix in thoroughly on a medium speed.

Sift the remaining sponge ingredients together, then add to the creamed mixture in two batches, mixing well after each addition. Place the batter in the fridge to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.

Grease two flat baking trays and line with baking paper.
Once the batter has cooled down, spoon it on to the prepared trays, dividing the mixture into 20-24 rounds (8-10 per tray), each 3-5 cm in diameter and spaced 2-3cm apart.

(I used a piping bag but you can use a spoon instead a lot of home cooks don't have piping bags so don't worry if you don't ).

Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes or until springy to touch. Remove from the trays and place on a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely before sandwiching together.

While the sponges are cooking you can make the filling

Method for filling:

Beat butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy
Add vanilla extract and a drop of red food colouring

Sandwich the cooled whoopies together with the icing.

Enjoy.

Roast Root Vegetables

Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 30-40 minutes
Pre-heat oven at 180oc

Ingredients:

2 carrots peeled and sliced on a angle

1/2 parsnips peeled and sliced on a angle

2/3 cooked beetroot cut into wedges same size as the other vegetables

I onion cut in to wedges

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley and knob of butter to serve

Method:
Toss all ingredients together
Place on a roasting tray
Cook for 30 minutes
I don't like the vegetables too well done so cook to your preference after this time.
Toss in the parsley and butter to serve

These go very well with a warm goats cheese salad served with crushed hazelnuts and French dressing.

Roast Chicken or Duck

Taste of Dublin.

I travelled up from Cork to go to taste of Dublin despite the bad weather we stood in the rain to watch Jamie Oliver give his cookery demo. He cooked shoulder of lamb with leeks, peas, asparagus, rosemary,mint and honey.
It smelled amazing. Unfortunately we were too far away to have a little taste. I will definitely be cooking this some Sunday.
He also cooked a guinness and chocolate cheesecake. It looked yummy.

Low fat pepper sauce

I was cooking steak for dinner and fancied some pepper sauce,
however I didn't have fresh cream in the fridge so I tried light Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It turned out yum
Half the fat content and I only used
3 ingredients what more could you ask for?
Easy, cheap and low fat.
Here's how I did it.

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking 10 minutes max

Ingredients
1 beef oxo cube
200ml boiling water
1 large tablespoon light Philadelphia cream cheese.
1/2 teaspoon freshly crush black/ green peppercorns
Sea Salt to taste

Method:

Boil the kettle and fill a jug to 200mls
Add the oxo cube stir until dissolved
Put cream cheese in a saucepan
Medium heat
Whisk in the stock
Add pepper
Boil and reduce for 1-2 mins
Check seasoning
Serve.

This sauce could be a base to a quick stroganoff.
Double the recipe
Omit the peppercorns
Add sauté mushrooms and onions a bit of paprika and brandy ( optional)
Season
Either choose beef or chicken
Cook in the sauce
Serve with rice

Delicious French toast

Aka eggy bread in our house
I was craving this after a night out not so long ago. The ultimate hangover food and you don't even need to run to shops everybody probably has a slices of bread and eggs knocking about.

Preparation and cooking time 10 minutes

Serves one hungry person

Ingredients:


2 think slices of yesterday's bread (fresh bread doesn't work as well but if its all you have work away with that)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of cream Or milk
2 tsp of caster sugar (use more if you like it sweeter)
Drop of vanilla extract or pinch of cinnamon
Knob of butter for cooking

Method:
Whisk eggs, cream vanilla or cinnamon
together in a shallow dish big enough to soak the bread.
Add the bread press down and turn to make sure bread is completely coated
Heat a frying pan medium add the butter when it foams slightly add the bread. Fry until golden and turn.

Serve with maple syrup and bacon , fresh berries or fried banana and cream or ice-cream ideas are endless. Dust with icing sugar to serve