Monthly Archives: October 2010

Tasty Tuesday – Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

‘Tis the time of jack o’ lanterns, spicy pumpkin pie and other festive holiday recipes, so I’d thought I’d share one of my new favorites with you in honor of All Hallow’s Eve! You can make these delicious gingerbread cupcakes with any type of frosting; I thought since I was was making them to help celebrate Halloween I would try a Pumpkin Cream Cheese frosting & they turned out great! You can decorate them with a little raw cane sugar like I did, or go for a little more festive look with Halloween sprinkles or candy corn.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Mix flour and baking soda. In separate bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat in molasses, then eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream until well blended. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

Frosting

8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (more if you prefer to pipe the frosting on instead of spreading)

In a large bowl, mix frosting ingredients with electric hand mixer. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, or pipe on with a piping bag and a tip. Sprinkle with a little raw cane sugar on top for a little crunch, or place your favorite Halloween candy on top & enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday – Mocha Punch

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I first tried this smooth, creamy punch at a friend’s graduation party. It was so delicious I think everyone at the party asked for the recipe. Having a frosty glass of this mocha punch is almost like sipping a chocolate shake. It would be perfect for a family gathering or Christmas party. It’s sure to be the first thing gone, so plan to have everything ready to make more!

Mocha Punch
Servings: 20-25, Prep: 15 min. + chilling
Ingredients
6 cups chilled coffee
1/2 cup instant chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon fair trade vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon fair trade chocolate ice cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
Fair Trade Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

Brew 6 cups of fair trade coffee. In a large saucepan or mixing bowl: Add coffee, drink mix, and sugar; stir until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

About 30 minutes before serving, pour mixture into a large punch bowl. Add Fair Trade ice cream (Ben & Jerry’s) by scoopfuls; stir until partially melted.

Garnish with dollops of whipped cream and Fair Trade chocolate curls if desired.

Tasty Tuesday – Chocolate Biscotti

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Chocolate Biscotti
via Comfy Belly

In honor of Fair Trade Month we’ve been on the search for fabulous recipes that honor our values and incorporate fair trade ingredients into some of our all time favorite recipes. Erica at Comfy Belly was gracious enough to allow us to share one of her favorite fair trade recipes with our Seven Hopes United readers! Her blog is great, and her recipes are amazing. If you’re looking for some delicious & unique dishes to share with your family, check out Comfy Belly!

Without further ado, here is Erica and her recipe for Chocolate Biscotti made with Fair Trade cocoa:

“Chocolate biscotti reminds me of chocolate cookies I had as a kid, like Oreos and chocolate sugar cookies. I use a good amount of fair trade cocoa in this recipe, but you can probably go with a bit less and still get delicious results. Although you don’t need to add much to these, some nuts or chocolate chips make a great compliment to the crunchy, chocolaty goodness. Dunking in a cup of tea or coffee works too!”

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1 cup of honey (or other sweetener)

8 tablespoons of butter, softened (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

3 1/2 cups of almond flour

1 cup of fair trade cocoa

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

chocolate or white chocolate chips (and/or nuts) are optional

1 teaspoon of an unrefined sugar, such as muscovado (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract (optional)

Preparation

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, add the butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix again until well blended.
Mold the mixture into two balls of dough. Place each ball of dough on oiled, buttered, or stick-free cookie sheet. Shape each ball of dough into a low, flat log. It will expand and rise somewhat, so account for a small amount of growth. Pack down the dough to remove air pockets. Alternatively, you can pack the dough in a tart pan with the dimensions you want your biscotti to have when finished.
Bake the logs for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and cake-like. Take the logs out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 275 degrees F.
Cool the logs for about 10 minutes and then slice each log into thin strips about 1/2 inch in thickness. Place the slices on their side on the cookie sheet, and then bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are fully crisped.
Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday – Pumpkin Spice Coffee Bread

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In honor of Fair Trade Month we thought we would try a new recipe that incorporates Fair Trade ingredients. It’s officially fall, and we are starting to see holiday inspired recipes everywhere, so here’s one that’s easy, delicious, and perfect for a fall treat!

It makes two loaves, one for you and one for a friend – a great way to share the story of Fair Trade! This is definitely one we will be making again. We hope this inspires you to try something new & Fair Trade.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup Fair Trade Coffee, brewed strong

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, and pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture alternately with coffee. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

If you have a recipe you’d like to share for “Tasty Tuesday” shoot me an email at info@sevenhopesunited.com

-Ashley

Fair Trade Month: Every Purchase Matters

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October is Fair Trade Month!

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of small producers, artisans and farmers around the world. Fair Trade with thousands of supporters aims to do just that. It is a concrete and efficient way to participate in the construction of a better world for several million small producers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This is why Fair Trade Month has extraordinary support from people like you, and is being celebrated through hundreds of events in more than 70 countries around the world this very moment. And today is only the beginning…

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandhi said. Contribute to fight climate change, transform the status of women, and empower disadvantaged producers by giving them a voice and supporting Fair Trade. Fair Trade ensures that small producers get a fair deal, with good working conditions and fair prices under safe conditions, and allows for sustainable development and a promising future for millions of farmer and artisan communities around the world.

Fair Trade Month 2010 is about Fair Trade, about people, organizations, producers, consumers, supporters and all those who share its goals. But more importantly, it is about you. It is your time to draw attention to your power to change your community and your world for the better through Fair Trade. With Fair Trade, every purchase matters. Together, we can improve the lives of small producers, farmers and artisans, around the world.

Fair Trade Month is your month. Join millions of people celebrating and become the change you seek by voicing your support for Fair Trade. Help to spread the message around the world, change your consumption patterns, and attend a Fair Trade Month Event. Join us in providing a pathway out of poverty. Join us in celebrating Fair Trade Month!

By taking the time to share the story of Fair Trade with friends and family, you are making a difference! Join us on Facebook and Twitter to catch our Fair Trade Month events, stories, giveaways, and most importantly, to help us spread the story of hope for thousands of artisans around the world.