by Pearl Pirie
It is a good time of year to hole up while we can under excuse of late winter storms or poor weather with some good friends, quiet music and warm conversation. Adding a little sweetness and ease to the evenings are these two recipes. Enjoy.
Hors d’oeuvres: Peter Gillies’ date night
Having had these at a Raging Grannies fundraiser, I urge everyone to try this. The crisp offsets the soft and the salty, the sweet, while the aged balances with the fresh leaf. It is a flavourful bite.
Split a date and fill with:
a smear of soft goat cheese
a leaf of fresh mint
a half raw walnut.
Dessert: four-minute cake (1 serving)
Forget the dense, gooey lava cakes for the time being. This is truly cakey and light. Butter a ramekin (or two if you want to double or have a small serving).
Mix in the ramekin:
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
Add:
1/2 a beaten egg
4-5 tbsp milk (almond milk or whipping cream)
It should be as thick as cupcake batter. If not, add a little water or more milk.
Microwave for two minutes. Let sit for a minute and place on a plate.
If you want to do a quick sauce over it, microwave equal amounts of a good chocolate bar and milk or cream for half a minute and stir until melted.