Monthly Flavors for December – Merry and Bright!
The end of the year already?! This year has really flown past. I am so excited to share a whole new year of wonderful flavors
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February is bringing love and chocolate! Like many people, I associate the month with Valentine’s Day. A day of love, a day of chocolate, a day of romance! Did you know aphrodisiacs have been around since the beginning of written history? We have always been looking for foods to increase libido. Get in the mood with food!
So, of course this month the theme is aphrodisiacs! I went with flavors that are scientifically proven to have some effects. Of course, the studies are done on mice so mileage may vary. I have linked the studies I pulled from in case you want to keep reading!
Mango Lemongrass Caramel
Mango and lemongrass have been studied for their ethnobotanical and folklore medicinal potentials. It is thought that the high vitamin E content in mangoes might help boost libido. Lemongrass has been studied to test the effects on testosterone and other male hormones. But man, together they sure do taste wonderful! The mango gives a wonderful sweetness while the lemongrass adds this citrus-y floral note.
Strawberry Pâte de Fruit with Red Wine Ruby Chocolate Ganache
In ancient Rome, the heart shaped strawberry was seen as a symbol of Venus (the goddess of love, fertility, beauty, and desire among other things). In addition, strawberries have an obviously large amount of seeds and so were tied to fertility. Wine (and alcohol in general) has been used as an aphrodisiac for most of human history. A little alcohol does help lower inhibitions, which can help increase the likelihood of sex. However, too much alcohol is definitely linked to poor performance, so everything in moderation! This chocolate will hit you upfront with tannin bitterness, then resolve into sweet strawberry. The ruby chocolate leaves you with red fruit tanginess. Yum!
Brazilian Dark Chocolate Fudge
Chocolate has been considered an aphrodisiac since at least the Aztecs. There are records showing Aztecs trading cocoa beans to have a night at the brothel, and the Aztec emperor Montezuma was rumored to drink 50 cups of chocolate a day to satisfy his many wives. It was thought that the central nervous system stimulant phenyl ethylamine (PEA) was the active aphrodisiac ingredient in chocolate. However, we absorb very little PEA from chocolate, so it is likely just the texture and taste that we find so pleasing! Brigadeiros are a traditional Brazilian fudge. To me, they are like a more intense dark chocolate than pretty much any other form. The fudge is sweet and yet carries the bitterness from dark chocolate and cocoa powder.
Coffee Milk Chocolate Ganache with Honeycomb
Stimulants being used as aphrodisiacs naturally leads us to coffee. The scent of coffee was proven to be a major turn on for women in a study from Mindlab International in Sussex, England (I couldn’t find the actual study, though). In rats, it was shown that female rats were significantly more interested in sex after having caffeine – though this was the first time the rats had ever had coffee, and so the results are unlikely to be the same in human women who have coffee often. Honey was a common aphrodisiac in ancient Greece. Hippocrates believed it would increase sexual vigor, along with many other philosophers. I made honeycomb, an American caramelized honey candy for this. It gives a wonderful crunch and a touch of bitterness to offset the sweet ganache.
Fig Pâte de Fruit with Saffron Milk Chocolate Ganache
The idea of saffron as an aphrodisiac in Europe is from a the idea if it is exotic it is erotic. In the Indian Ayurvedic medicine tradition, saffron is seen as one of the most important love spices. There are myths that Cleopatra bathed in saffron-infused water to increase her sensitivity before meeting her husband/lover. Surprisingly, it has been proven that one of the two main active compounds in saffron, Crocin, does improve male rats’ performance. This was not shown to be the case in human men, however. Figs were thought to increase fertility because of the obviously large amount of seeds in each fruit. Also, the ancient Greeks thought they resembled female genitalia, so must increase women’s libido. The fig pâte de fruit is intensely fruity, and the saffron provides an earthy undertone to the ganache.
Galangal and Coconut Dark Chocolate Ganache
Galangal is a close relative to ginger, often used in Southeast Asian cuisines. It is citrusy with a ginger-like bite, but is almost reminiscent of pine at the same time. It has been studied as a way to combat erectile dysfunction due to SSRIs with promising results! Coconut is thought to enhance sex hormone production due to higher levels of manganese and vitamin C. This ganache is lightly sweet from the coconut, with a citrus bite from the galangal. Definitely a long evolution, this is one to savor!
Coffee White Chocolate Ganache with Feuilletine
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I was so happy to bring out my anatomical heart cookie cutter! Sablé cookies are traditional French cookies similar to a butter cookie. The cookie is chocolate-y and yet light, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
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Hindbaersnitter is a popular Danish cookie. Filled with raspberry jam and covered with royal icing, it is quite similar to a Pop Tart, but better! I decided to add ginger spread to the raspberry jam for an added bite. Delicious!
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The end of the year already?! This year has really flown past. I am so excited to share a whole new year of wonderful flavors