Launch of La Belle Morena - Miami, FL. 9/3/2011

What a great night!. We officially had our first party for La Belle Morena, here in sunny Miami, Florida. There couldn't have been a better place to introduce our creations than in a sunny tropical environment, surrounded by great people, great food and plenty of Caribbean rum! There were plenty of chocolates and cupcakes to go around, along with a variety of Haitian, Jamaican, Dominican rums, and Ponche Kuba from Curacao. We wanted to thank everyone for coming out last night and turning this event into a very special event for us. Your feedback and enjoyment of our goodies brought us much faith and hope that we can really make something out of this project and move forward to help make a difference on our island. Needless to say, we had a blast and are looking forward to our next event in the NYC/Miami areas. Here are some of the takes from last night's event, with more postings to come!

The beautiful people who came out last night to enjoy our goodies!

People sitting around, enjoying the plethora of rum!

Our lovely display table of goodies.

Haitian Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Truffles

This had to be the most popular cake last night So much that it basically flew off the table in seconds! This is a Jamaican rum cake with  a homemade dulce de leche, covered with a light chocolate cinnamon whip cream topping.

A dark chocolate ganache infused with Dominican Mama Juana, covered in milk chocolate.

Jamaican ginger beer cupcakes covered in milk chocolate

Dark Chocolate ganache with Haitian rum, covered in milk choclate

Yellow Plantain cupcake covered with a white chocolate orange ganache

Off Topic Random Creations :-)

Sweet Bread with Chocolate and Cranberries soaked in Gran-Marnier

White Wine Vanilla Cake, filled with Homemade Raspberry Jam and a Raspberry, White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Vanilla-Chocolate Streusal Ring Cake topped with Caramelized Blueberries.

Patisserie Marie Beliard in Petion-ville, Haiti

By far one of the best pastry experiences you will ever encounter, Patisserie Marie Beliard located in Angle Rue Faubert & Lambert - Pétion-Ville, HAITI is just one of the many examples of Haitian culinary mastery. Unlike some of the pastries that you find in the U.S., heavy with tons of sugar and butter for no real tasteful reason, this bakery uses everything in the right proportion to create light, airy and fresh creations that will literally make you feel as if you're in heaven with every bite. More than just a bakery, Patisserie Marie Beliard is just one of the many examples of the level of culinary creativity produced by a Haitian bakery. We at La Belle Morena appreciate and applaud the uniqueness of these tasty products.

Traditional Caribbean Spices -

Chocolate Cupcakes, filled with a pastry cream with a cinnamon butter-cream.

Spiced Cupcake with a Ponche Butter-cream Frosting
(In the picture above, you will find a spiced cupcake made from cinnamon, allspice, ground anise and ground Dominican cocoa from a local farm cooperative in the DR. The aromatic smell and taste of it is like heaven for the Caribbean palette. We also could not help but add a bit of booze and making a Ponche butter-cream not only gives this cake that extra kick, but accentuate the spices infused in it.)
 

 Condiments and seasoning have always played a role in traditional Caribbean cuisines, yet the versatility and diversity of spices within this region is extremely unique. So unique that it is safe to say that one of, if not the most defining component of any sweet Caribbean creation is the use and manipulation of  spices. Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Anise, All Spice just to name a few, are just some of the many spices that you will find in traditional Caribbean culinary creations,  both sweet and savory alike.  They are also a staple in rums, punches, teas and other drinks, as well as herbal remedies (ginger tea is always a good remedy for sour stomachs :-) ) A book that we highly recommend for those who would like to learn more about the rich history and culinary versatility of spices within Caribbean foods is "The Caribbean Pantry Cookbook" by Steven Raichlen. This book has a great layout of recipes from rubs and spices such as jerk seasoning and sofrito, to making jam and jellies out of traditional Caribbean fruits such as guava and start fruit.  

The book will give insight into the colonial histories of the islands, and comparing it to what we see today, it is clearly evident that the Caribbean is a vast cultural melting pot with influences from literally every point of the globe, making it one of, if not the most eclectic and culturally diverse region in the world. Its tropical climate also has made it a gold mine for a vast variety of fruits and spices. For example, most of the world's nutmeg gets produced in Grenada; Cacao is know to grown in places like the Dominican Republic (The DR is one of the largest of supplies of organic cocoa in the Latin America and Caribbean region); and you can fine herbs and spices such as mint, thyme and culentro in Trinidad's Paramin Hills.

Ponche Crema de Oro

Bitter Sweet Chocolates filled with Ponche Crema de Oro Custard

White Chocolate Cups filled with Ponce Creman de Oro Liquer

The Infamous "Ponche Crema de Oro" from the Dominican Republic


(Ponche is also a great ingredient to add to desserts
because of its creamy, thick, sweet and egg based texture. Depending on the brand, and desired alcohol taste, you can
substitute either 1/4-1/2 a cup of it for milk in any pudding, custard,
pastry cream, creme brulee, or butter cream frosting recipe.)

Ponche is a creme based liqueur, that is traditional in many Latin American and Caribbean countries. In Haiti, this liqueur is commonly known as Kremas. Similar as in the states, ponche is a sort of egg nog that tends to be very popular during the Christmas season, however it is very common for people to drink ponche year round, especially after meals and during special outings and celebrations . Usually the recipes vary depending on the region, but the main ingredients usually include milk, eggs, sugar, rum, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon rind. Ponche Crema de Oro has to be one of the most popular brands of ponche in the Dominican Republic, and very well know for its relatively high alcohol content. Lets just say, its not a drink to be taken to too lightly and don't let its sweet flavor fool you, so drink happily with caution. In the U.S., you can usually find Ponche year round at almost any local liquor store within most Caribbean/Latino neighborhoods.

Haitian Spicy Peanut Butter

(Whoopie pies made with Pierre's Spicy Peanut Butter, sandwiched with a dark chocolate cake).

In Haiti, Mamba is a spicy peanut butter that is prepared from ground, roasted peanuts, and is often flavored with sugar or pimiento peppers.



Bienvenidos/Bienvenue!

Welcome to our blog.  La Belle Morena is a site that brings to you the sweet tropical pleasures that our wonderful island of Kiskeya has to offer. Our main desire is to invite bloggers to come join us in our culinary journey  as we affirm our cultural pride and sweet culinary traditions, but with a new and eclectic twist. With a mix of traditional island flare and nuevo pan-american fusions, La Belle Morena is our gift to not only our mother island, but a homage to our ancestors who made Kiskeya, the Caribbean and the entire Latin American region what it is today. 

Mesi Anpil y Buen Provecho,

La Belle Morena