Staying true to our pledge to devote our last get-together of the calendar year as a day of giving, we hosted an open house for a Holiday Boutique benefitting a very worthy organization, The Apparent Project (www.apparentproject.org). This non-profit trains Haitian parents to become artisans to support their families, enabling them to keep their children at home instead of sending them off to an orphanage due to poverty. Teaching people to fish is certainly something we can get behind whole-heartedly. The Apparent Project sent us a box of Christmas ornaments and a box of jewelry, all hand-made, which we proudly displayed for our guests. Now for what we serve:
Champagne and Hot Cider
Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Skewers
Mustard Green and Sweet Onion Frittata
Onion Mushroom Cheese Cups
Mini Variety Cheesecake Squares
Christmas Cookies
Gluten-free and Sugar-free Haitian Butter Cake
We'd like to thank all our guests for helping us sell about $ 1000 dollars worth of products, which will assist to sustain these Haitian parents as home-based small business owners.
Not to be forgotten in the midst of holiday food and shopping (even when it's for a good cause), is the Gift brought by a Baby born in a manger so many years ago.
"For unto us a Child is born".
Here's wishing every child in Haiti a life full of Peace, Joy and Hope.
Champagne and Cookies
Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Skewers
Mustard Green and Sweet Onion Frittata
Onion Mushroom Cheese Cups right out of the oven
Mini Variety Cheesecake Squares (Chocolate, Blueberry & Raspberry)
Gluten-free and Sugar-free Haitian Butter Cake
Recipes
Onion Mushroom Cheese Cups
- makes 24 cups
1 package wonton wrapper
1 large yellow sweet onion, diced small
1 lb mushrooms, diced small
1 lb gruyere cheese (or gruyere mixed with swiss cheese), shredded
1 tbsp. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat oven to 325F.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter and sauté diced onions and mushrooms until onion is caramelized.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste, let cool.
4. Place wonton wrappers on 2 greased muffin pans, forming cups.
5. Spoon onion and mushroom to each wonton cup.
6. Sprinkle with shredded gruyere on top.
7. Bake at 325F for 20 minutes or until wonton cups turn golden brown.
Gluten-free and Sugar-free Haitian Butter Cake
Cake
2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
4 cups coconut flour
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
6 eggs, separated
2 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp lemon zest (I use Meyer lemon)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Glazing
Wisk together the following ingredients:
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup maple syrup
juice of 2 Meyer lemon (or 1 regular lemon)
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2. Beat egg whites into a meringue, until peak is formed.
3. Cream butter and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, then add the rest of dry ingredients.
5. Add egg yolks. vanilla and rum into large mixing bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients and milk.
7. Fold in egg whites.
8. The batter will be thick and lumpy, more like a cookie dough than your typical cake batter.
9. Pour into 9" greased bundt cake pan, bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, let cool.
Glaze with lemon flavored rum syrup before serving.
