Vegan Land: Less than 45 days until Christmas: Have you thought about supper?

“But what about dessert, what will we have?” It is likely that those who are hosting Christmas this year are already getting questions about the menu. After a 2020 without being able to meet at the table with the family, it is natural that the preparations start earlier and, with them, all the anticipation for the meeting and food to come.

A reunion that should be marked by all the necessary care, and also by the nostalgia for those who could not survive the pandemic.

Bicolored pave with chestnut crumbs. This was the most popular dessert of the 2019 supper at my grandmother’s house. A vegan pave, with white and chocolate cream, cornstarch biscuit, toasted chestnuts on top.

And it is with him that I open the preparations for a 100% vegetable supper, or for a traditional supper, but with options without anything of animal origin. The choice is up to the reader or reader.

The interesting thing about this recipe —and any vegan recipe— is that it includes lactose intolerant people.

In a survey carried out by the Datafolha Institute in 2016, around 53 million Brazilians reported having some digestive difficulty after consuming cow’s milk or its derivatives. And, as vegan recipes do not include cow’s milk, anyone who is intolerant can enjoy it without feeling any discomfort.

Pave has always been a tradition in my family, and it’s one of our favorite sweets for any celebration. As the tradition at home was to make with champagne biscuits and I still haven’t found any brand that offers champagne biscuits without eggs and milk in the composition (this is a great opportunity, manufacturers), I decided to dip the maizena biscuit in white wine.

It was very good!

You don’t need to wait for Christmas to arrive to make this pave, the tests for the supper are already released.

Bicolored pavé with chestnut crumb

Preparation time: up to 1 hour + 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Serves: 15 people.

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts.

¾ cup of various nuts (peanuts, cashews and walnuts, for example) finely chopped.

1 cup + 1 tablespoon of demerara sugar.

400 g of vegan cornstarch cookie.

120 g of semisweet chocolate or 70% vegan.

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.

2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

800 ml of vegetable milk.

100 ml of white wine.

1 puff of salt.

PREPARATION

1. To make the peanut cream, place the peanuts in a pan and cover with water, enough so that the level is three fingers above the peanuts. Bring to a boil over low heat until the water dries completely.
2. Prepare the chestnut farofinha, taking them already chopped to toast in a pan with a spoon of demerara sugar and a pinch of salt. When the sugar has completely dissolved, mix in until the nut mix is ​​enveloped in sugar. Turn off the heat, transfer the farofinha to a container and set aside.
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in 100 ml of vegetable milk and set aside.
4. When the peanut water dries, allow it to cool and transfer to the blender jar. Add 700ml of vegetable milk, ½ cup of sugar (reserve ¼) and beat on high speed for 4 minutes, until the peanuts melt completely. Transfer the cream to a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. When it starts to boil, add the mixture of milk and cornstarch and stir with the help of a fouet, so as not to lump. When it thickens, turn off the heat. Transfer half of the cream to a container and leave the other half in the pan. Reserve.
5. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and add the peanut butter to the pan. Also add ¼ cup of sugar, turn on the heat (low) and stir until the sugar melts, wrapping the chocolate well in the cream, until smooth. Turn off the heat and set aside.
6. To assemble the pavé, start by spreading a layer of white cream on the refractory, then lightly soak the biscuits in the wine, one by one, and transfer to the refractory, covering all the white cream. You will probably need to break some cookies in the “puzzle” of covering the cream, that’s right!
7. Cover the cookies with a layer of the chocolate cream, then sprinkle a layer of the chestnut crumbs. Make another layer of cookies soaked in the wine and start the cycle again, until the entire refractory is filled. Finish with a layer of white cream.
8. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours so that it becomes firm. Before serving, finish with the chestnut crumbs and chocolate chips.

TIPS

● You can substitute demerara sugar for brown, coconut, or even white sugar, after all, it’s a day of celebration!

● Both cornstarch and chocolate can easily be found in their vegan versions in grocery stores. Read the list of ingredients on the packages and choose those that do not contain milk, butter and eggs.

● If you choose to make the recipe without the wine, soak the cookies in vegetable milk.

● This recipe can be prepared the day before supper.