Ingredients:

250ml milk
1/2 Madagascan vanilla pod
25g dark chocolate
Marshmallows

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat the milk until hot, but not boiling.
• Remove from heat. Slit the vanilla pod down the centre and scrape out the seeds. Place seeds and vanilla pod into the hot milk. Cover and chill for 2 hours to allow vanilla to infuse.
• When ready to make the hot chocolate, remove the vanilla pods, heat the milk until hot and add the chocolate.
• Whisk until the mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted.
• Pour into your favourite mug and top with marshmallows.

Ingredients:

150g rice crispies
100g unsalted butter
100g mini pink and white marshmallows
300g Biscoff spread
1 teaspoon Vanilla Mart paste

Method:

• Grease and line a 21cm square tin with nonstick baking paper.
• In a large pan, melt the butter, marshmallows and 100g of Biscoff over a low heat, until the mixture is fully melted and combined.
• Stir in the rice crispies and the vanilla paste, mix until they’re completely coated.
• Turn out into the lined tin and smooth the top to make it flat.
• Melt the remaining Biscoff spread in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until completely melted and smooth.
• Pour the melted Biscoff over the top, spread evenly and leave to set. Once set, cut into snack sized squares to serve.

Ingredients:

200g dairy-free butter
1tsp Vanilla Mart paste
100g caster sugar
300g plain flour

Method:

• Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Stir in the flour and mix into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Roll out to 1/2 cm thickness and cut into round shapes. Place on the baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.
• Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• Enjoy with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:

250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter
25ml whole milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Mart Madagascan paste

Method:

• Beat the icing sugar and butter together until the mixture comes together.
• Combine the milk and vanilla paste and add to the buttercream.
• Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, around 5 minutes.

Secret Trick:

• Make sure your butter is at room temperature before beating it.
• Butter should be malleable without being melted or greasy.

Ingredients:

1 Madagascan Vanilla Mart pod
1 bottle red wine
1 cinnamon stick
220g caster sugar
Fresh sprigs of thyme
6 pears peeled, keep whole on stalk

Method:

• Add the vanilla seeds, wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme to a large saucepan.
• Cut the vanilla pod into three strips and add to pan.
• Lower in the pears. Poach for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine.
• Remove the pears from the saucepan, then boil the liquid to reduce, so that it’s syrupy and thick.
• Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla and cream.

Secret Trick:

• Short for time? Prepare your poached pears up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Check if your pears are cooked by piercing them with a cocktail stick. If done, they should be tender.

Ingredients:

200g plain flour
50g caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla Mart paste
50g butter
2 eggs
240ml milk
Fresh berries and maple syrup to serve

Method:

• Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
• Melt the butter in the microwave then add vanilla paste, eggs and milk to your butter mixture and stir to combine.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and gently fold through until nice and thick.
• Heat a small frying pan on a medium-low heat and add a little butter to the pan.
• Pour over three heaped tablespoons of the batter.
• Heat until golden brown and then flip.
• Repeat with remaining pancake batter.
• Serve with maple syrup and fresh raspberries.

Secret Trick for fluffy pancakes:

• Avoid over-mixing the batter. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until just combined, not more. This will guarantee fluffier pancakes.

Ingredients:

150g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g self-raising flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp Vanilla Mart paste
125 ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
6 tbsp raspberry jam

Method:

• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan and grease the mini tins with butter.
• Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
• Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add the milk, vanilla paste, flour and a pinch of salt, then beat again until smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly between the mini tins and level with a teaspoon.
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden-brown.
• Leave the mini cakes to cool and meanwhile whip the cream to soft peaks.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally.
• Spread the jam on the bottom half of each cake, then the cream. Finish each cake off by lightly sifting icing sugar over the tops.
• Serve with tea.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
3 unwaxed lemons, zest of all, juice of 1
125g golden caster sugar
75g buttermilk
125ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp Vanilla Mart paste
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
sugar crystals – optional

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a muffin ray with muffin cases.
• Whisk the eggs, lemon zest and sugar.
• Combine the buttermilk, oil, lemon juice and vanilla paste, then pour into the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
• Combine the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, flour and salt, then sift into the wet mixture.
• Whisk lightly to make a smooth batter.
• Divide batter between the muffin cases and sprinkle the top of the muffins with sugar crystals.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

Ingredients:

175g unsalted butter, soft
175g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 of the seeds from Madagascan vanilla bean
70g icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, for topping

Method:

• Beat the butter, vanilla seeds, sugar and the lemon zest in a bowl.
• Mix until smooth.
• Add the flour and salt slowly until the dough comes together.
• Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll out to 1/4-inch thick.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 160°C.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out rounds and transfer onto the parchment paper.
• Sprinkle the vanilla sugar on each biscuit and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are a golden brown.

Ingredients for dough:

300ml milk
50g butter
1 Madagascan Vanilla Mart pod
1 tsp salt
500g strong bread flour
75g caster sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
7g easy blend yeast
1 egg, beaten
75g sultanas
30g mixed peel
zest of 1 orange
1 apple, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp mixed spice

Ingredients for topping:

70g plain flour
Water
2 tbsp golden syrup

Method:

• Bring the milk to the boil, remove from the heat and add butter.
• Pour flour, salt, caster sugar, seeds from vanilla pods, yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and butter mixture, then the egg.
• Mix well, until you have a sticky dough.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface and put dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
• Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Tip in the sultanas, peel, zest, apple and cinnamon and knead into the dough.
• Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into even balls, roll each into a smooth ball and arrange on baking trays lined with parchment.
• Cover with a tea towel, then prove again for 1 hour more.
• Heat oven to 200°C fan.
• Mix the plain flour with 4-5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross.
• Pipe crosses along each row of buns and bake for 20 minutes.
• Melt the golden syrup in a pan and brush the buns while still warm before setting aside to cool.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla Mart Madagascan paste
60g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp cold water
1 tsp cornflour

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
• Add the egg whites and vanilla paste to a medium bowl and use a whisk with an electric hand whisk until frothy, about 30 seconds.
• Sift in the flour, cornflour, sugar, and salt and gently incorporate into the batter until paste-like.
• Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter is smooth.
• Place 1 tablespoon of batter onto a baking sheet and spread into a 3-inch circle.
• Repeat until batter has finished and bake for 8 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
• Add a fortune in the middle of a cookie and then fold it in half, and place the flat side on the lip of a cup, folding the edges down into a fortune cookie shape.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally.
• Spread the jam on the bottom half of each cake, then the cream. Finish each cake off by lightly sifting icing sugar over the tops.
• Serve with tea.

Ingredients for dough:

1 tin condensed milk
400g white chocolate, chopped
50g unsalted butter
2 tsp Vanilla Mart paste
1 cup mini eggs
sprinkles (optional)

Method:

• Line a baking tin with baking paper.
• Combine the condensed milk, butter and white chocolate in a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Add the vanilla, sprinkles and 3/4 of the mini eggs. Stir to combine.
• Pour into your tin and scatter the remaining eggs over the top.
• Chill in the refrigerator until firm or overnights.
• Cut into pieces and serve.

Ingredients for dough:

300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g cold unsalted butter cubed
80g caster sugar
150g chocolate chips
2 beaten eggs, at room temperature
225ml milk, at room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla Mart vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, together in a large bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture is like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and the chocolate chips.
• In a separate bowl mix the eggs, milk and vanilla paste together.
• Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix briefly. Use a whisk to rid any large lumps of flour, if needed. Avoid over-mixing.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and bake at 200°C for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C and continue to bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.

Secret Trick for muffin tops:

• Fill your muffin tins all the way to the top. This and the initial high oven temperature will lift the muffin top up quickly and create a tall crust.