Monthly Flavors for June – Here and Queer!

Get excited, it is June! The month of rainbows and love. A month dedicated to people discovering and celebrating who they are and who they love. I am happily out and proud, but I recognize that many people are not in as fortunate a position. Therefore, I will be donating 15% of proceeds this month to The Trevor Project. I have donated to them for several years now, and I am so proud to be doing so again. An amazing organization, the Trevor Project provides crisis counseling to LGBT+ youth 24/7/365.

The colors this month are all inspired by various LGBTQ+ flags. The flavors are a fun take on sweet and savory: each one is a fruit paired with savory spices. This is a month to be playful and wonderfully unexpected at times, afterall!

This Month's Flavors

Riot

Coconut and Cubeb Pepper Dark Chocolate Ganache

The first pride was a riot! As many LGBTQ+ people in the US watch their rights being stripped away, let’s not forget it. This ganache is coconut upfront, then dark and earthy from the cubeb pepper. The evolution is really fun, and the cubeb lingers on the tongue.

Lez is More

Mango and Balti Mix White Chocolate Ganache

It should come as no surprise that mango pairs wonderfully with curry spices. The balti spice mix is from northern Pakistan, where the Baltistan region takes influences from Persia, Tibet and China. Made with coriander, dundicut chilies, Ceylon cinnamon, fenugreek, and many other spices this mix is subtly spicy and sweet while staying very savory. Combined with the sweet mango, this ganache is creamy and light with a spiced end note.

Gay-me Changer

Peach, Star Anise, and Szechuan Peppercorn White Chocolate Ganache

Peach and star anise are such a great pairing. This ganache is smooth and lingering, with the faintest berry spice from the Szechuan peppercorns right at the end. 

Tie-Bi

Raspberry, Rosemary, and Aleppo Pepper Caramel

These three bold flavors meld so nicely together. The raspberry adds tanginess and berry sweetness, the rosemary adds herbal depth, and the Aleppo pepper adds a fruity note that is subtle and yet adds a great character. 

Trans-fix

Strawberry and Bay Leaf Ruby Chocolate Ganache

This flavor combination kicked off the idea for this month! Bay leaves are used in so many cuisines, yet the flavor is hard to describe. Herbal, of course, but also a little menthol-y. Of course, that goes so well with strawberries! The ruby chocolate also adds in a tangy red berry note that leaves this ganache well rounded and delicious. 

Embr-Ace

Fig Pâte de Fruit with Fig and Za’atar White Chocolate Ganache

Za’atar is a spice mix from the Middle East and North Africa. Made with sesame seeds, thyme, cumin, sumac, and oregano, the end result is lightly citrusy and tangy but still herbal. I personally love za’atar on toast with fresh figs, so this combination made perfect sense to me! The fig is very present upfront, then you get white chocolate creaminess and tangy spices. Yum! 

This Month's Gallery

Cookie Flavors

#1 Rainbow Blondies

These super fun bars are very reminiscent of birthday cake! Soft and chewy, they get a nutty depth of flavor from brown butter, sweetness from milk chocolate, and the sprinkles make them wonderfully festive. What is not to love here?

#2 Neapolitan Bars

Clearly drawing inspiration from another beloved sweet, Neapolitan ice cream is usually a combo of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. These bars are made with vanilla and chocolate cookie layers and a raspberry glaze. The rainbow sprinkles just make everything fun, and remind me of an ice cream sundae. Pretty, of course, but also delicious!

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