josh,
forget what recipes say. it's what works for u that matters. the only trick in using whole spice is to get the ratio right and the proportion right. if u've not tried already add 4 off bay & green cardamom to the next base (any base). for me u also need 1 off anis and some cinnamon but the bay & cardamom will give the idea - u'll have to fish them out though before blending.