Friday, February 13, 2009
Greatest Gift that you can Give those you Love
© 2009 Peace Through Kindness * Text by Lalita
Send this as an ecard: http://www.ourbelovedearth.com/…s/ily.html
Send this as an ecard: http://www.ourbelovedearth.com/…s/ily.html
Chai Tea: A Quick History of this Popular Ancient Beverage
Chai Tea: A Quick History of This Increasingly Popular Ancient Beverage
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/February/11/Chai-Tea-A-Quick-History.htm?source=nl
In the United States, chai (rhymes with “pie”) tea typically refers to the milky, spicy and slightly sweet tea beverage that has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. If you want to be in the know, ordering a chai tea is redundant, because “chai” is the word for tea in several different languages, so you’re actually ordering a “tea tea.”
The variety most Americans refer to as chai is actually called masala chai, which originated in India many centuries ago and means “spice tea.” Though there is no one exact recipe for masala chai (each region and household in India has its own), it is generally made of the following:
* A strong black tea
* Heavy milk
* Spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper
* Sweetener, such as honey
Traditionally, masala chai is made by boiling loose tea leaves, then adding in freshly ground spices, milk and honey or other sweetener. Some say that this version of spiced tea was originally created in order to mask the poor quality of tea available in India while it was colonized by Great Britain. It’s said that the British kept the high-quality tea for themselves and gave the lower quality tea to the native people.
Today, chai vendors known as “chai wallahs” are common in many areas of India, and as Americans might gather to chat in a coffee shop, Indians often gather at a chai wallah to take a break from their days.
Is Chai Good for You?
Masala chai is said to produce a warming, soothing sensation as well as support digestion. Modern-day versions vary as to the health benefits they offer, depending on which particular ingredients are used. However, traditional masala chai is composed of numerous beneficial ingredients, such as:
* Black tea: Studies have shown that regularly drinking three or more cups of black tea a day can support your heart health, and a study in the European Heart Journal also found that drinking black tea improves the ability of arteries to relax and expand to keep blood pressure healthy. However, adding milk to the tea, as is common in chai, blocked this impact.
There is some debate as to whether or not adding milk to tea cancels out its beneficial properties. According to the Indian Tea Association, a UK study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a standard addition of 10-15% milk did not influence tea’s antioxidant properties.
* Ginger: The active ingredient in ginger is gingerol, a compound that's thought to relax blood vessels, stimulate blood flow and relieve pain. It's commonly used as a digestive aid and contains compounds that ease motion sickness and nausea and inhibit vomiting.
* Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that out of all spices, cinnamon is one of the richest sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. It also has anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties, which help prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. And, it may help boost brain function and control blood sugar.
* Cloves: The active compound in cloves, eugenol, combines with other clove components to make this pungent spice highly anti-bacterial. It's also anti-inflammatory and the compound has been studied for use in preventing toxicity from environmental pollutants and joint inflammation.
How to Make Your Own Chai
Here at Sixwise.com we absolutely love Ajmera’s Xpress Chai. It’s creamy and delicious, and like its name implies, takes just an instant to make. The chai packets are great for taking to work or when you’re in a hurry, as you simply add hot water and your cup of tasty chai is ready.
That said, making masala chai at home is fairly simple, once you’ve gathered up the ingredients. Here’s a delicious recipe that takes just a few minutes from start to finish:
Indian Masala Chai
Ingredients:
* 4 tsp loose tea, usually black
* 1 piece of dry ginger
* 3 cardamom pods, crushed
* 3 whole cloves
* 1 piece of cinnamon stick
* 'Milk' and sugar to taste
Preparation:
* Chop up ginger into fine pieces and break up cinnamon stick.
* Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add tea leaves and all the spices.
* Let everything brew at boiling for 30 to 45 seconds.
* Remove from heat, then let steep at room temperature for another minute.
* Strain out the tea and pieces of spice.
* Serve hot and fragrant, with only a touch of milk or sugar.
Serves 4
Recipe Source: Indiacurryrecipes.com
When you make this tea, make sure to take the time to really savor its flavors. We recommend sipping it while reading a really good book or chatting with really good friends.
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/February/11/Chai-Tea-A-Quick-History.htm?source=nl
In the United States, chai (rhymes with “pie”) tea typically refers to the milky, spicy and slightly sweet tea beverage that has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. If you want to be in the know, ordering a chai tea is redundant, because “chai” is the word for tea in several different languages, so you’re actually ordering a “tea tea.”
The variety most Americans refer to as chai is actually called masala chai, which originated in India many centuries ago and means “spice tea.” Though there is no one exact recipe for masala chai (each region and household in India has its own), it is generally made of the following:
* A strong black tea
* Heavy milk
* Spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper
* Sweetener, such as honey
Traditionally, masala chai is made by boiling loose tea leaves, then adding in freshly ground spices, milk and honey or other sweetener. Some say that this version of spiced tea was originally created in order to mask the poor quality of tea available in India while it was colonized by Great Britain. It’s said that the British kept the high-quality tea for themselves and gave the lower quality tea to the native people.
Today, chai vendors known as “chai wallahs” are common in many areas of India, and as Americans might gather to chat in a coffee shop, Indians often gather at a chai wallah to take a break from their days.
Is Chai Good for You?
Masala chai is said to produce a warming, soothing sensation as well as support digestion. Modern-day versions vary as to the health benefits they offer, depending on which particular ingredients are used. However, traditional masala chai is composed of numerous beneficial ingredients, such as:
* Black tea: Studies have shown that regularly drinking three or more cups of black tea a day can support your heart health, and a study in the European Heart Journal also found that drinking black tea improves the ability of arteries to relax and expand to keep blood pressure healthy. However, adding milk to the tea, as is common in chai, blocked this impact.
There is some debate as to whether or not adding milk to tea cancels out its beneficial properties. According to the Indian Tea Association, a UK study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a standard addition of 10-15% milk did not influence tea’s antioxidant properties.
* Ginger: The active ingredient in ginger is gingerol, a compound that's thought to relax blood vessels, stimulate blood flow and relieve pain. It's commonly used as a digestive aid and contains compounds that ease motion sickness and nausea and inhibit vomiting.
* Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that out of all spices, cinnamon is one of the richest sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. It also has anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties, which help prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. And, it may help boost brain function and control blood sugar.
* Cloves: The active compound in cloves, eugenol, combines with other clove components to make this pungent spice highly anti-bacterial. It's also anti-inflammatory and the compound has been studied for use in preventing toxicity from environmental pollutants and joint inflammation.
How to Make Your Own Chai
Here at Sixwise.com we absolutely love Ajmera’s Xpress Chai. It’s creamy and delicious, and like its name implies, takes just an instant to make. The chai packets are great for taking to work or when you’re in a hurry, as you simply add hot water and your cup of tasty chai is ready.
That said, making masala chai at home is fairly simple, once you’ve gathered up the ingredients. Here’s a delicious recipe that takes just a few minutes from start to finish:
Indian Masala Chai
Ingredients:
* 4 tsp loose tea, usually black
* 1 piece of dry ginger
* 3 cardamom pods, crushed
* 3 whole cloves
* 1 piece of cinnamon stick
* 'Milk' and sugar to taste
Preparation:
* Chop up ginger into fine pieces and break up cinnamon stick.
* Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add tea leaves and all the spices.
* Let everything brew at boiling for 30 to 45 seconds.
* Remove from heat, then let steep at room temperature for another minute.
* Strain out the tea and pieces of spice.
* Serve hot and fragrant, with only a touch of milk or sugar.
Serves 4
Recipe Source: Indiacurryrecipes.com
When you make this tea, make sure to take the time to really savor its flavors. We recommend sipping it while reading a really good book or chatting with really good friends.
Neutralizing Acidosis and Bone Loss Among Mature Adults
Neutralizing Acidosis And Bone Loss Among Mature Adults
ScienceDaily
Feb. 11, 2009)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090131124439.htm
A new study funded in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggests that neutralizing an acid-producing diet may be an important key to reducing bone breakdown, or "turnover," while aging. The study comes on the heels of several ARS-reported studies suggesting that consuming more-than-recommended amounts of calcium may not be the main answer to protecting bone.
The study was led by physician and nutrition specialist Bess Dawson-Hughes at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass. ARS is a scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fruits and vegetables are metabolized to bicarbonate and thus are alkali-producing. But the typical American diet is rich in protein and cereal grains that are metabolized to acid, and thus are acid-producing. With aging, such diets lead to a mild but slowly increasing metabolic "acidosis."
The researchers conducted a placebo-controlled study involving healthy male and female volunteers aged 50 or older. Key measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention, which lasted three months.
A group of 78 volunteers had been provided either of two bicarbonates—potassium or sodium—along with their usual diet and exercise regimes. Key bone mineral nutrients were controlled to reduce variation in study outcomes. The bicarbonate groups consumed an amount of bicarbonate equivalent to about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This allowed the researchers to look at possible acid-neutralizing effects from an adequate, not high, alkali load.
The results showed that the 78 volunteers in the bicarbonate groups had significant reductions in biomarkers that are associated with bone loss and fracture than the 84 in the no-bicarbonate, or control, group.
The authors concluded that increasing the alkali content of the diet, for example by consuming more fruits and vegetables, merits further study as a safe and low-cost approach to improving skeletal health in older men and women.
The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Adapted from materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/main.htm
ScienceDaily
Feb. 11, 2009)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090131124439.htm
A new study funded in part by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggests that neutralizing an acid-producing diet may be an important key to reducing bone breakdown, or "turnover," while aging. The study comes on the heels of several ARS-reported studies suggesting that consuming more-than-recommended amounts of calcium may not be the main answer to protecting bone.
The study was led by physician and nutrition specialist Bess Dawson-Hughes at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Mass. ARS is a scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fruits and vegetables are metabolized to bicarbonate and thus are alkali-producing. But the typical American diet is rich in protein and cereal grains that are metabolized to acid, and thus are acid-producing. With aging, such diets lead to a mild but slowly increasing metabolic "acidosis."
The researchers conducted a placebo-controlled study involving healthy male and female volunteers aged 50 or older. Key measurements were taken at the beginning and end of the intervention, which lasted three months.
A group of 78 volunteers had been provided either of two bicarbonates—potassium or sodium—along with their usual diet and exercise regimes. Key bone mineral nutrients were controlled to reduce variation in study outcomes. The bicarbonate groups consumed an amount of bicarbonate equivalent to about 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This allowed the researchers to look at possible acid-neutralizing effects from an adequate, not high, alkali load.
The results showed that the 78 volunteers in the bicarbonate groups had significant reductions in biomarkers that are associated with bone loss and fracture than the 84 in the no-bicarbonate, or control, group.
The authors concluded that increasing the alkali content of the diet, for example by consuming more fruits and vegetables, merits further study as a safe and low-cost approach to improving skeletal health in older men and women.
The research was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Adapted from materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/main.htm
DIY Valentine's Gift - Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
DIY Valentine’s Gift: Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
11 Feb 2009 02:01 PM PST
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries are a luxurious Valentine’s Day treat — but they’re also expensive. Save money by making yours at home!
One of the most popular Valentine’s goodies is chocolate dipped strawberries. Very few people can resist fat, juicy strawberries covered in decadent chocolate. Purchasing chocolate dipped strawberries in a bakery or gourmet shop can be quite expensive, especially when they are atop a cake. This Valentine’s Day, why not plan a delicious dinner at home and finish it off with some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert!
With a bit of time and very little difficulty, these can be made at home for considerably less cost. A lot of recipes claim that you can melt chocolate in the microwave for dipping, but I have never had much success with the chocolate staying smooth and creamy. Therefore, I prefer to use a double boiler. Don’t feel intimidated by the thought of using a double boiler — it’s actually quite simple. This article has good instructions on using a double boiler. Additionally, you have to be very careful not to get any moisture into the chocolate or it will break up and get grainy. I usually melt both dark and white chocolate, and alternate dipping the strawberries in each, or dip in dark chocolate, cool, then drizzle with white chocolate. It’s all up to you and your imagination.
Heart Cake with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
You’ll need:
* 1 lb. strawberries, washed and patted dry
* 12 oz dark chocolate
* double boiler
* wax paper
* toothpicks (optional)
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil in the double boiler and then turn down so that the water is not boiling when you add the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate and set aside. Melt the white chocolate and set aside. Holding the strawberry by the stem or using a toothpick, dip the strawberry into the chocolate and place on the wax paper to cool. When you are done, place the strawberries in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.
These can be boxed or placed in cellophane bags for gifts, or placed on a cake for a beautiful dessert.
Trish Robinson is a writer living in Houston, Texas. She writes about various parenting and family issues, and has had articles published in Parenting, Redbook and has previously written for AOL’s “Parent Dish,” and Houston Press.
11 Feb 2009 02:01 PM PST
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries are a luxurious Valentine’s Day treat — but they’re also expensive. Save money by making yours at home!
One of the most popular Valentine’s goodies is chocolate dipped strawberries. Very few people can resist fat, juicy strawberries covered in decadent chocolate. Purchasing chocolate dipped strawberries in a bakery or gourmet shop can be quite expensive, especially when they are atop a cake. This Valentine’s Day, why not plan a delicious dinner at home and finish it off with some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert!
With a bit of time and very little difficulty, these can be made at home for considerably less cost. A lot of recipes claim that you can melt chocolate in the microwave for dipping, but I have never had much success with the chocolate staying smooth and creamy. Therefore, I prefer to use a double boiler. Don’t feel intimidated by the thought of using a double boiler — it’s actually quite simple. This article has good instructions on using a double boiler. Additionally, you have to be very careful not to get any moisture into the chocolate or it will break up and get grainy. I usually melt both dark and white chocolate, and alternate dipping the strawberries in each, or dip in dark chocolate, cool, then drizzle with white chocolate. It’s all up to you and your imagination.
Heart Cake with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
You’ll need:
* 1 lb. strawberries, washed and patted dry
* 12 oz dark chocolate
* double boiler
* wax paper
* toothpicks (optional)
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil in the double boiler and then turn down so that the water is not boiling when you add the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate and set aside. Melt the white chocolate and set aside. Holding the strawberry by the stem or using a toothpick, dip the strawberry into the chocolate and place on the wax paper to cool. When you are done, place the strawberries in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.
These can be boxed or placed in cellophane bags for gifts, or placed on a cake for a beautiful dessert.
Trish Robinson is a writer living in Houston, Texas. She writes about various parenting and family issues, and has had articles published in Parenting, Redbook and has previously written for AOL’s “Parent Dish,” and Houston Press.
My Vegan Valentine (Vegan, Cooked Recipe)
My Vegan Valentine
A decadent chocolate cake for your sweetie, minus the animal products
By April McGreger
12 Feb 2009
http://www.grist.org/advice/daughter/2009/02/12/?source=daily
In the many years I worked in the restaurant world, Valentine's Day meant whipping up confections for other people's sweethearts. The pressure was steep: People scramble for reservations on the romantic holiday, and desserts are expected to impress.
This year, I'll be at home -- and focusing on a Valentine's Day sweet for my very own Valentine. I knew the dessert would have to be chocolate, and it would be a huge boon if was also dairy-free, because Phil, like millions of others, has difficulty digesting lactose. I also knew that he prefers cakes to pies, puddings, tortes, or even truffles. So I had a place to start, but there were more requirements.
I am a very picky home baker -- lazy even, some might say. I bake professionally, so when I am baking for family I like to keep things simple. I don't like to hear the noise of an electric mixer, so I prefer to stir things together by hand. I don't want to wear my arm out beating egg whites, so I tend to choose batter cakes, which can easily be stirred together. Last, I want something relatively easy because I do not want to spend my whole day "off" on my feet in the kitchen. That's a lot to ask of one dessert, I know.
Frosting on the Cake
I have long had a favorite vegan chocolate batter-cake recipe, so I used it as a starting place. Ten years ago it was simply my favorite easy chocolate cake, before I even noticed that the recipe was vegan. As in many American oil-based cakes, this one leans on baking soda and vinegar for leavening. The recipe is adapted from Fannie Farmer's "Mix-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake." I have made it so many times, with so many different variations, that my versions barely resemble the original. But the Fanny Farmer backbone remains. To finish, I usually just give it a simple dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar. But Valentine's Day was just the challenge I needed to come up with a delicious vegan chocolate frosting to make it special and new.
I generally look down my nose at most vegan desserts because they rely on soy margarine, which is a product that I prefer not to use in my cooking. I am not a fan of the taste of soy margarine or soy milk, and in general, I try to limit my intake of unfermented soy. When you eliminate soy from vegan baking, things get much more complicated. I knew that I could make a ganache glaze with chocolate and coconut milk, but I wanted a cake that was reminiscent of the soft and fluffy chocolate layer cakes of my childhood, with old-fashioned fudge frosting.
I got out my family recipe for fudge frosting, which calls for half and half and butter. I decided that I would use coconut milk in place of the half and half and would try virgin coconut oil in place of the butter. Virgin coconut oil is a product that I have been experimenting with a lot this past year, and I absolutely love the heavenly aroma it lends to baked goods.
Coconuts and Bolts
Coconut oil has begun to reenter our food system after being abandoned in the saturated-fat scare brought to us by intense lobbying from the domestic vegetable-oil industry -- the same campaign that convinced millions to replace traditional fats with partially hydrogenated (and completely unhealthy) vegetable oils. Yet minimally processed tropical oils are healthful, do not contribute to heart disease, and have been used safely for thousands of years.
My first challenge was substituting coconut oil for butter in frosting. I figured I'd have to do some tweaking, because coconut fat is harder at room temperature than butter. But to my surprise, on the first try, it worked like a charm. For the coconut lover, this frosting might even be an improvement on the butter and cream version. Better still, this frosting can be easily whipped up with just a few strokes with a wooden spoon.
Once I knew that a coconut fudge frosting would work, I decided to underscore the coconut flavor in my cake as well by using virgin coconut oil and coconut water in the batter. Two other less processed ingredients that I employed in this recipe were natural, fair-trade cocoa powder and Rapadura, or evaporated cane sugar juice. I've struggled in the past getting Rapadura to melt the way sugar does, so I opted for organic unbleached sugar in the frosting and Rapadura in the cake. Rapadura is high in trace minerals so it has more nutritional value than sugar, but should still be used in moderation.
I used natural, Fair Trade-certified cocoa powder in both the cake and the frosting. Natural cocoa powder has a fruity and complex taste, and I prefer it to Dutch-processed or alkalinized cocoa powder. Dutch-processing of cocoa powder is used to lower bitterness, but the process isn't necessary if the beans used in the cocoa powder are of very high quality.
Finally, because I don't like to have a whole cake around for just my husband and me, I baked the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan and cut it into heart shapes. I layered the heart-shaped cake with fudge frosting and dusted the top with cocoa powder. Now I can share the love with friends.
Easy, Vegan Chocolate Cake
This recipe makes one 8-inch cake, but here I've called for one thin 9 x 13-inch layer to be cut into heart shapes and layered. You can double this recipe for an 8-inch two-layer cake or a thicker 9 x 13-inch half sheet cake. Experienced cake decorators freeze cake layers prior to decorating them to make them sturdier and easier to handle. This trick helps when cutting the cake layer into shapes, too.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup Rapadura or sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup of coconut water, or juice (or 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup coconut milk)*
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit the pan snugly.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the vinegar, vanilla, coconut oil, and coconut water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended and smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife blade inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely on a rack. Then slide a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a half sheet pan or large rectangular cutting board on top of the cake pan. Grasp the sides firmly and quickly flip the cake out onto the board. Peel the parchment paper from the underside of the cake and place the cake in the freezer to firm up, for at least half an hour. When the cake is firm -- don't leave it in too long or it will freeze hard -- cut out the cake into your desired shape. If a heart seems too ambitious, you can simply cut the cake into fourths for a four-layer square cake.
I prefer to frost only in between the layers and dust the top with cocoa powder. If you like more frosting and sweetness, the following recipe makes enough to frost the top and sides as well.
*Coconut water or juice can be purchased at most natural food stores and Latin markets, or can simply be drained out of a whole coconut.
Vegan Coconut Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Vegan chocolate frosting
Make sure you have your cake layers ready to ice before beginning the frosting. It will set up very quickly. If it fully sets up before you finish icing your layers, warm it slightly in a bowl set over simmering water. You can thin it further with a few drops of coconut milk.
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt the coconut oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Add the coconut milk, stir well, and bring the mixture to a boil. Adjust the heat to a steady but gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should begin to thicken.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool for about 20 minutes.
Beat the frosting until it thickens, about 20 strokes with a wooden spoon. Spread it over your cake layers.
Any leftover frosting can be poured in a pan, allowed to harden, and cut into squares like fudge.
April McGreger is the proprietor of Farmer's Daughter, a farm-driven artisan food business in Carrboro, N.C. She is a leader in her local Slow Food convivium, where she is known to curate field pea tastings and write for the Slow Food Triangle blog. When not in the kitchen, she can usually be found at her local community garden or singing and playing the tenor banjo with her husband Phil.
A decadent chocolate cake for your sweetie, minus the animal products
By April McGreger
12 Feb 2009
http://www.grist.org/advice/daughter/2009/02/12/?source=daily
In the many years I worked in the restaurant world, Valentine's Day meant whipping up confections for other people's sweethearts. The pressure was steep: People scramble for reservations on the romantic holiday, and desserts are expected to impress.
This year, I'll be at home -- and focusing on a Valentine's Day sweet for my very own Valentine. I knew the dessert would have to be chocolate, and it would be a huge boon if was also dairy-free, because Phil, like millions of others, has difficulty digesting lactose. I also knew that he prefers cakes to pies, puddings, tortes, or even truffles. So I had a place to start, but there were more requirements.
I am a very picky home baker -- lazy even, some might say. I bake professionally, so when I am baking for family I like to keep things simple. I don't like to hear the noise of an electric mixer, so I prefer to stir things together by hand. I don't want to wear my arm out beating egg whites, so I tend to choose batter cakes, which can easily be stirred together. Last, I want something relatively easy because I do not want to spend my whole day "off" on my feet in the kitchen. That's a lot to ask of one dessert, I know.
Frosting on the Cake
I have long had a favorite vegan chocolate batter-cake recipe, so I used it as a starting place. Ten years ago it was simply my favorite easy chocolate cake, before I even noticed that the recipe was vegan. As in many American oil-based cakes, this one leans on baking soda and vinegar for leavening. The recipe is adapted from Fannie Farmer's "Mix-in-the-Pan Chocolate Cake." I have made it so many times, with so many different variations, that my versions barely resemble the original. But the Fanny Farmer backbone remains. To finish, I usually just give it a simple dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar. But Valentine's Day was just the challenge I needed to come up with a delicious vegan chocolate frosting to make it special and new.
I generally look down my nose at most vegan desserts because they rely on soy margarine, which is a product that I prefer not to use in my cooking. I am not a fan of the taste of soy margarine or soy milk, and in general, I try to limit my intake of unfermented soy. When you eliminate soy from vegan baking, things get much more complicated. I knew that I could make a ganache glaze with chocolate and coconut milk, but I wanted a cake that was reminiscent of the soft and fluffy chocolate layer cakes of my childhood, with old-fashioned fudge frosting.
I got out my family recipe for fudge frosting, which calls for half and half and butter. I decided that I would use coconut milk in place of the half and half and would try virgin coconut oil in place of the butter. Virgin coconut oil is a product that I have been experimenting with a lot this past year, and I absolutely love the heavenly aroma it lends to baked goods.
Coconuts and Bolts
Coconut oil has begun to reenter our food system after being abandoned in the saturated-fat scare brought to us by intense lobbying from the domestic vegetable-oil industry -- the same campaign that convinced millions to replace traditional fats with partially hydrogenated (and completely unhealthy) vegetable oils. Yet minimally processed tropical oils are healthful, do not contribute to heart disease, and have been used safely for thousands of years.
My first challenge was substituting coconut oil for butter in frosting. I figured I'd have to do some tweaking, because coconut fat is harder at room temperature than butter. But to my surprise, on the first try, it worked like a charm. For the coconut lover, this frosting might even be an improvement on the butter and cream version. Better still, this frosting can be easily whipped up with just a few strokes with a wooden spoon.
Once I knew that a coconut fudge frosting would work, I decided to underscore the coconut flavor in my cake as well by using virgin coconut oil and coconut water in the batter. Two other less processed ingredients that I employed in this recipe were natural, fair-trade cocoa powder and Rapadura, or evaporated cane sugar juice. I've struggled in the past getting Rapadura to melt the way sugar does, so I opted for organic unbleached sugar in the frosting and Rapadura in the cake. Rapadura is high in trace minerals so it has more nutritional value than sugar, but should still be used in moderation.
I used natural, Fair Trade-certified cocoa powder in both the cake and the frosting. Natural cocoa powder has a fruity and complex taste, and I prefer it to Dutch-processed or alkalinized cocoa powder. Dutch-processing of cocoa powder is used to lower bitterness, but the process isn't necessary if the beans used in the cocoa powder are of very high quality.
Finally, because I don't like to have a whole cake around for just my husband and me, I baked the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan and cut it into heart shapes. I layered the heart-shaped cake with fudge frosting and dusted the top with cocoa powder. Now I can share the love with friends.
Easy, Vegan Chocolate Cake
This recipe makes one 8-inch cake, but here I've called for one thin 9 x 13-inch layer to be cut into heart shapes and layered. You can double this recipe for an 8-inch two-layer cake or a thicker 9 x 13-inch half sheet cake. Experienced cake decorators freeze cake layers prior to decorating them to make them sturdier and easier to handle. This trick helps when cutting the cake layer into shapes, too.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup Rapadura or sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup of coconut water, or juice (or 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup coconut milk)*
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit the pan snugly.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the vinegar, vanilla, coconut oil, and coconut water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended and smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife blade inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely on a rack. Then slide a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a half sheet pan or large rectangular cutting board on top of the cake pan. Grasp the sides firmly and quickly flip the cake out onto the board. Peel the parchment paper from the underside of the cake and place the cake in the freezer to firm up, for at least half an hour. When the cake is firm -- don't leave it in too long or it will freeze hard -- cut out the cake into your desired shape. If a heart seems too ambitious, you can simply cut the cake into fourths for a four-layer square cake.
I prefer to frost only in between the layers and dust the top with cocoa powder. If you like more frosting and sweetness, the following recipe makes enough to frost the top and sides as well.
*Coconut water or juice can be purchased at most natural food stores and Latin markets, or can simply be drained out of a whole coconut.
Vegan Coconut Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Vegan chocolate frosting
Make sure you have your cake layers ready to ice before beginning the frosting. It will set up very quickly. If it fully sets up before you finish icing your layers, warm it slightly in a bowl set over simmering water. You can thin it further with a few drops of coconut milk.
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt the coconut oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Add the coconut milk, stir well, and bring the mixture to a boil. Adjust the heat to a steady but gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should begin to thicken.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool for about 20 minutes.
Beat the frosting until it thickens, about 20 strokes with a wooden spoon. Spread it over your cake layers.
Any leftover frosting can be poured in a pan, allowed to harden, and cut into squares like fudge.
April McGreger is the proprietor of Farmer's Daughter, a farm-driven artisan food business in Carrboro, N.C. She is a leader in her local Slow Food convivium, where she is known to curate field pea tastings and write for the Slow Food Triangle blog. When not in the kitchen, she can usually be found at her local community garden or singing and playing the tenor banjo with her husband Phil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
