🍫🍄🌶BIRCH POLYPORE CHAI CHOCOLATE FONDANT 🍫🍄🌶

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🍫🍄🌶BIRCH POLYPORE CHAI CHOCOLATE FONDANT 🍫🍄🌶

When @queer.as.funghi and I run events we often end the session with Susy’s fantastic Birch Polypore Chai which I later infused into a brownie. The Birch Polypore (Fomitopsis betulina) is known for its medicinal properties in ongoing studies including antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal and anti inflammatory properties, as well as being immunomodulatory. Susy and I will dedicate an entire post to this next week but for now I wanted to show my method to preserve this in a versatile way which is also delicious.

Anyone who has tried this in a tea will know that it’s very bitter which is where the goodness lies so combining with spices works really well, hence the chai. Chai spices & bitterness work with chocolate so in this video I have provided a simple process to freeze the infusion which can be called on for a hot chocolate or a chocolate fondant.

PROCESS

The birch Polypore needs to be simmered for 2 hours in plant milk (I used hazelnut) with spices (I used cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, mace, cloves) and chillies. Strain the liquid hot and weigh adding equal weight of chocolate mix til silky smooth and freeze into ice cube trays. I boxed these so have them ready for a later date and we’re made the day before baking. The hot chocolate is just made when you want it really and served as seen.

Take out a frozen birch polypore chai chocolate cube set aside and turn the oven to 160degress (fan assisted). Once the WET & DRY mixes have been prepared and mixed well you can add the DRY MIX to the WET MIX. Prepare a Dariole mould (individual pudding mould) by greasing it with oil/butter & dusting with cocoa powder. Fill the mould 1/2 way and place the birch polypore chai chocolate cube in the middle push it in slightly then cover with the mix until the mould is 3/4 full. Tap it on a flat surface a couple times to knock out the bubbles and bake for 14mins without opening the oven. Once baked release the edges with a palette knife place a plate on top and turn it over. 

WET MIX

40ml cold pressed extra virgin rape seed oil

10ml coffee

90ml plant milk (hazelnut used again)

1tsp vinegar (I used blackberry vinegar)

2tsp blitzed flax seeds

150ml water

DRY MIX

110g plain white flour

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2tsp salt

30g cocoa powder

90g organic brown sugar