For the dough

• 140 g (5 oz) flour
• 20 g (¾ oz) cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 65 g (2¼ oz) butter, softened
• 90 g (3¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) buttermilk

For the filling

• 125 g (4½ oz) butter, softened
• 250 g (9 oz/2 cups) icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• 2–3 tsp beetroot (beet) juice
• 20 g (¾ oz) semi-sweet chocolate, finely grated
• 2–3 tsp milk

For the dough, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk butter and sugar in another bowl until fluffy. Gradually add the egg and vanilla extract, then alternate adding the flour mix and the buttermilk until you have a soft, fluffy dough.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4). Line two trays with baking paper. Transfer the dough to a piping bag and pipe about 32 round heaps of dough (2.5–3 cm or 1 inch) onto the baking paper, spacing them a little apart. Bake the two trays for 12–14 minutes on the middle rack, one after the other, then leave to cool fully on a rack.

For the filling, whisk the butter until creamy, then gradually add the icing sugar to make a thick, light-coloured cream. Divide the cream between two bowls. Stir the beetroot juice into one half and combine the other half with the grated chocolate and milk. Place a dollop of each filling on the flat side of two whoopie halves. Combine the two halves and press together gently.