Goat Cheese Chocolate Cake

Even just a few dairy goats will generate a ridiculous amount of chèvre. These days I am making anywhere from 10 - 15 oz of cheese per day with just two milkers. As such, I have been coming up with some creative uses for goat cheese. For example, I now make the best and, at current chèvre prices of $1.00/oz, incredibly expensive mac and cheese.

However, this new recipe "takes the cake". After a cursory internet search revealed no such other recipes on the entire Internet (of the first six google hits) I thought I would put it down here for posterity.

So, if you want to make a great tasting chocolate cake and have some goat cheese sitting around (or are willing to spend $10+ for a cake) read on...

Goat Cheese Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients

• 10 - 12 oz of fresh creamy chèvre 
• 1/2 cup goats milk, divided
• 3 egg yolks
• 6 oz of chocolate chips (more if you like more chocolatey goodness)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour

1. Heat 1/4 cup of milk and chocolate chips in a double boiler until melted and smooth.
2. In the mean time, whisk egg yolks, salt, and sugar in a bowl until the eggs are a light yellow and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes)
3. Pour a little of the hot cream mixture into the eggs to temper, then return the whole thing to the double boiler. Whisk until thick, roughly 15 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Cool the chocolate-egg mixture in the fridge until firm (about an hour or so).
4. When it is cool, whip the eggs and chocolate mixture with the goat cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
5. Combine the flour and baking soda and add it to the cheese mixture a little at a time. If it gets too thick, alternate with some additional milk until all the flour is combined. You should get a cake batter consistency that is a little on the stiff side.
6. Pour into a buttered pan and bake at 350 until an inserted toothpick comes out smooth (depends on the pan, but my bread pan took about 30 minutes).

All that's left of this tasty goodness!

You can make up a frosting (with goat cheese, of course) but I just eat it plain.

Next stop, goat cheese chocolate chip cookies!

Red Air Data

Dear Rep. Brad Dee:

Regarding your recent column:

http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/02/15/real-solutions-air-quality

As a concerned resident, I am doing everything I can to reduce emissions on red air days. We’ve lowered our thermostat and don’t burn wood on red air days. We drive a low emission vehicle, carpool, bike, or take mass transit, and pool all our trips. 

But, with apologies to you and Governor Herbert, I must take issue with some of the numbers being used to describe the sources of pollution that affect us all during the winter inversions. The Utah DAQ - along with the Governor and your recent column - report that vehicle emissions represent 57% of the inversion pollution, with industry accounting for only 11%. Drive less, you tell us, and do your part.

However, automobiles are not the largest source of PM 2.5 emissions along the Wasatch Front. According to the DAQ 2012 Annual Report, on-road emissions account for only 13% of PM 2.5 sources (see figure on page 22 of the report, available at the DAQ web site). Industry point sources account for 24%, and other area sources account for 49% of PM 2.5 emissions. Remember, the red air action alerts are measured by the amount of PM 2.5 in the air. PM 2.5 also contributes the most to the health risks on red air days.

To suggest that industry only contributes 11% to the pollution problem during inversions is disingenuous at best. Kennecott’s operation alone accounts for over 66% of PM 2.5 emissions in Salt Lake County. 

We may be at the mercy of our geography, but nobody is forcing us to operate refineries and open pit mines on red air days. If you are going to use data to ban wood burning and ask us to drive less, please use data to - at the very least - ask industries to not operate these point sources on red air days.