December 1st to December 7th is BC Buy Local Week! In its third year, the week helps illuminate local BC businesses and products following the craziness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and just in time for Christmas shopping. Consumption is at an all time high so be more conscious of the choices you make and how they can benefit the local economy.
SPUD delivers local and organic groceries to homes and offices and emphasizes hiring locally, buying locally, and delivering locally. “Supporting local is the cornerstone of our business,” says SPUD CEO Peter van Stolk. “We look for products made by people with passion for what they do which then transfers to our team and to our customers. You miss out on that passion when you buy massproduced items from a faceless factory on the other side of the world.”
To help spread the message of the importance of buying local, SPUD Ambassador Erin Ireland is sharing one of her many delicious recipes that showcases amazing local produce and products from local vendors.
Butternut Brownies by Erin Ireland
They’re moist, beta-carotene-rich and naturally sweet. But the best part about butternut squash is...they’re abundantly grown throughout the winter right here in BC. Incorporating them into your home cooking -- and baking -- as much as possible is an eco-friendly idea. And you’ll be supporting your local farming community.
Butternut Squash Brownies are a great way to use SPUD’s organic butternut squash (and sneak some veggies into your kid’s diet). They’ll leave your guests wondering how on Earth these chocolatey little squares are so moist and why they feel so great and light post-brownie-binge.
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 2 cups cooked butternut squash (or 1 small to medium squash)
- 12 medjool dates
- 5 tbsp. raw cacao (or regular cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 5 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla
- ½ c. brown rice flour (or flour of your choice)
- 2/3 c. BC hazelnut meal (finely ground hazelnuts)
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup BC hazelnuts (toast for optimal flavour)
- ¾ cup oats
- ½ cup BC hazelnut meal (almond meal works here, too)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 tbsp. Earth Balance Spread (or butter)
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil (try Naked Coconuts available through SPUD)
Directions:
- Start by making the topping: in a food processor chop oats and hazelnuts for 10 seconds (until coarsely chopped).
- Transfer oats and hazelnuts to a small bowl and mix in hazelnut meal, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, butter and coconut oil. Set aside.
- Rinse out your food processor, then blend together cooked butternut squash and dates until silky smooth (if your dates are hard, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes).
- Transfer your squash date mixture to a medium bowl and add cacao, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, flour and nut meal. Mix well.
- Line your baking dish with parchment paper (with overlapping sides for easy removal), fill with the brownie mixture, then top with crumble.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve hot, room temperature...or even frozen. I enjoy them as “frozen fudge” dipped in coconut whipped cream (recipe at itstodiefor.ca).
- Note: your lack of bloating and/or sugar high!
In the spirit of the holiday season, starting December 1 the purchase of a $100 or more SPUD Gift Card will earn shoppers a bonus credit for themselves, plus SPUD will make a meal donation to someone in need in Vancouver these meal donations will be made to the Union Gospel Mission.
