Fair Trade Month of Chocolate, etc. Dark Chocolate Layer Cake, or cupcakes.

 There are always reasons.  So many great reasons for choosing to make your food, using Fair Trade products, local, and ethically raised.  Imagine knowing that no child labour, or slaves were used, for you to enjoy the foods that you do.  

We are celebrating Fair Trade month in May.  I will be posting recipes and information about products throughout the month.  Here is the birthday cake to get started.  

 

 Look to MCIC for more information on Fair Trade as well as events.https://www.mcic.ca/fair-trade/what-is-fair-trade

Dark Chocolate Layer Cake

1 cup butter.  I use the wonderful, local Notre Dame butter.  I spoke with the owner and he assures me of the quality.  It is soft at room temperature.

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs.  I use Nature's Farm for a few reasons.  They are excellent, local and I need to use a commercial egg for my products.  If you have access to farm fresh eggs, use them.

1 tsp vanilla.  I make vanilla with beans that I got from Kerala, South India.  Vanilla is very expensive because it is quite labour intensive.  I visited a fair trade spice plantation and purchased the beans directly.  I soak them in bourbon for a while.

2 cups flour.  I use Prairie Mills Flour, again, for a few reasons.  It is always an excellent product, local, and a great price.  After NAFTA, we have been losing local mills to large corporations. 

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder.  I use more like a cup, for this recipe, as well as additional buttermilk.  I use a Fair Trade dark cocoa by Callebaut.  It is available at DeLuca's. 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup buttermilk +  I made kefir with Stoney Brook Creamery.  They are located in Steinbach and produce amazing organic dairy products.  They are also available at the St. Norberts Farmers Market.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and well incorporated.  Add eggs, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Alternate mixing into the butter mixture with thirds of dry and buttermilk. 

Spoon into 2 greased and parchment paper-lined cake pans (9 inch)  Bake at 350ºF for 30 - 35 minutes, until tester comes out cleanly.  Let cool and remove from pans after 20 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Layer or frost as you wish.  Each cake can be cut into two layers.

I'll be preparing this recipe as cupcakes.  They bake for 15 - 17 minutes.

Ganache

8 ounce dark chocolate callets, or chopped chocolate.  I used Callebaut Dark, which is Fair Trade.  It is available at DeLuca's, Sobey's Cash and Carry, and other locations.  Camino chocolate is also excellent.

1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream.

1. Heat cream on the stovetop until just simmering.  Do not boil, or it could separate.

2. Place chocolate callets (chips), or chopped chocolate into the saucepan and cover for 2 minutes. 

3. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth and shiny.  Set aside and let cool until workable for spreading or dipping.  It can be whisked as a frosting texture as well.

Enjoy!

Rose Harissa Baked Halibut with Beurre Blanc

 I had a beautiful piece of Halibut filet, from Gimli Fish, and I wanted to prepare something French Classical, easy, fusion-potential, and, did I already mention easy?  Beurre Blanc is, indeed, a very easy to prepare, Classic French sauce.  

I put my own Rose Harissa, thinly spread, onto the filet and set that aside in the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Beurre Blanc can also be served with asparagus, and other fish, such as salmon, steelhead trout, Arctic Char, etc.  Bake the filet, with adjustment for thickness, at 350ºF for 15 minutes.

I served this with Basmati Rice Pilaf, and creamy spinach.  

Beurre Blanc

 
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled  ( I confess to using salted butter)
Options:  thyme, tarragon, or sorrel

Boil wine, vinegar, and shallot and optional herb in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
Add cream, salt, and white pepper and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium low and add a few tablespoons butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and adding new pieces before previous ones have completely liquefied (the sauce should maintain consistency of hollandaise), removing the saucepan from heat occasionally to cool mixture, so that it won't split.
Remove from heat, then season to taste with salt and pepper and pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into a saucepot pressing on and then discarding shallot and optional herbs. Serve immediately.  It can be made in advance, just gently reheat.

Butternut Squash Soufflé

Please note:   Soufflés are not as difficult or fussy as the movies depict.  In fact, you can prepare the mixture in advance for hours, prior to putting into the baking dish and baking.  It is a delicate product, but not scary.  I used amazing local products, such as, organic butternut squash, grown by Kelly Ditz, wonderful and consistent eggs, by Nature's Farm, Prairie Mills Flour, and Notre Dame butter.

 

Butternut Squash Soufflé

Preheat oven to 425º F

Part 1:
Make a Béchamel Sauce by combining the following with a small whisk over a double boiler or Bain Marie;

3 tbs. Butter
1/2 cup flour
Add a scant cup cold milk (3/4 cup)
and continue to whisk over the steam heat until thickened.
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Part 2:

Sauté 1 chopped onion,
1 half roasted butternut squash
1/4 cup toasted almonds

Blend squash mixture to a smooth paste and set aside.

Part 3:

Add squash mixture to bechamel and whisk in. Then add 4 – 5 egg yolks from large eggs.
Fold in 4-5 egg whites, whisked to stiff peaks.

Use a buttered and floured soufflé mold or 6 smaller ramekins. Pour in the mixture and bake in the oven at 400ºF for 30 minutes (less time if using ramekins) without opening the door during cooking, until well-risen and a deep golden-brown on top.

Serve immediately. Enjoy with a light salad with a vinaigrette. Try with a chocolate fondue for dessert.

Enjoy!