Coffee & Vanilla Doodles

What an incredible joy it is to be back touring with Foodies Festival.  Not only do I get to hang out with some of the most phenomenal chefs and bakers there are, I also get to bake and shake with the best vanilla there is!  Little Pod vanilla makes the most wonderful (and real) vanilla you'll find, they also produce coffee and chocolate extract (which you will see used in so many more of my recipes you'll want me to shut up more than you already do!).

On the tour this year, I'm giving you coffee & vanilla doodles AND a coffee & vanilla cocktail - this is clearly because I love you all, and I know how much everyone needs a cocktail and a cookie; especially a cookie you can dip into your cocktail.  Just call me Nigella Lawson circa 2008.  Also, I now need to go back and watch her Christmas episodes.  They bring me so much joy.  Anyway, I digress from the importance of bringing you a recipe!

One note I have here is that you can omit the cream of tartar if you don't have it, but honestly, it does make a huge difference to the flavour - it gives these cookies such a lovely tangy quality that is so worth popping to the supermarket for the ingredient you may not have in your store cupboard.

One last word before the recipe (you've already scrolled past this I know, I know); whilst I would continue to write recipes here, I owe an incredible debt of gratitude to my darling friend Charlotte White for believing in me and indulging me and for permitting me to join the Foodies Festival family.  I am eternally grateful, and praise must be given to Charlotte  for hosting such a fantastic theatre at Foodies.  She is a true gem.

Now, the recipe!!

INGREDIENTS

100g dairy free spread (or butter if you prefer, but this must be soft / at room temperature)
100g soft light brown sugar (or a 50/50 split dark brown sugar & caster sugar)
1tsp Little Pod vanilla bean paste
1/2tsp Little Pod coffee extract *optional
200g self raising gluten free flour (I like Dove's Farm)
1/4tsp xanthan gum
3/4tsp cream of tarter
1tbsp espresso powder
1 1/2 tbsp milky coffee, cooled (I use GF oat milk here)

3 tbsp caster sugar to coat *optional

METHOD

• Pre-heat the oven to 180/160 fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper or reusable parchment (this stuff is great and so much better for the environment)
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together your butter and sugar until they are pale and combined (note, this can be done in a bowl with a wooden spoon, but I get great satisfaction from using my Kitchen Aid, and it makes this portion of the bake much quicker)

• Beat in the vanilla extract
• Follow with the milky coffee and beat until it looks almost curdled
• Fold in all your dry ingredients - it is really important to fold here as you want a dry-ish dough, and using the stand mixer has the tendency to make this mixture incredibly sticky.  If you feel the dough has become too wet & sticky, add in some more flour until it comes back together
• At this point I further channel my inner Nigella and don my "CSI gloves" to pinch off about a heaped teaspoon amount of dough and roll it into a ball.  

• Coat each ball in caster sugar (this is optional)
• Place on your waiting baking tray spacing them out a little as they do spread

• Pop into your pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until they have a lovely crackled top and will slide on the baking tray when nudged.  Do this gingerly as if they are not quite there yet, they will completely smoosh under pressure.
• Remove to a wire rack to cool a little, then pop them directly on the wire rack to cool completely.

Eat and drink and, indeed, be merry!