Cookbook Review: More Than Poutine

More than Poutine is a treasure trove of Canadian recipes for those living abroad and within Canada. This review includes a recipe for Marie’s Schmoo Torte.

Check out other cookbook reviews here on the blog. Simply Citrus by Marie Asselin and The Family Slow Cooker by Best of Bridge

A Cook Book for Anyone Abroad Missing Canadian Foods

More than Poutine

More Than Poutine is Marie Porter’s love letter to Canada. Written from the point of view of someone who has moved away from her homeland, this cookbook includes many examples of Canadian food ‘isms’. You never know what you’re going to miss until it’s longer readily available.

As a Canadian who has lived away from ‘home’ I jumped at the chance to review a copy of this cookbook. The whole time I thought about how great it would have been to have a copy during our time in Australia.

Don’t get me wrong, I was pleased to have moved to the other side of the world and even more excited to be part of the great food scene in Perth. The availability of fresh produce and seafood year round was outstanding.

However, during certain holidays we definitely found ourselves craving a taste of home. Our cravings began at Christmas-time, with the perennial Canadian favourite…butter tarts.

Recipes for Popular Canadian Treats

Fortunately they are easy to replicate no matter where you are. Marie covers several versions of ‘butter tarts’ in More Than Poutine including those in bar form and a sweet butter tart liqueur.

Then there were more difficult requests to fill such as perogies. Now, perogies really aren’t ‘Canadian’, they’re Polish or Ukrainian. However, if you grow up on the prairies your diet is greatly influenced by Eastern European flavours.

Even though I found a Polish deli (where I also stocked up on sausages) which claimed to make perogies, I never found them in stock so I had to make them. I found a rudimentary recipe on the internet and they turned out okay.

I wish I had Marie’s recipe, including tips from her Manitoban grandmother. It would have been exactly the recipe I needed!

Recipes Tested

Schmoo Torte

As a homage to my husband’s Winnipeg roots, I chose to bake Marie’s Schmoo Torte on page 202. I found that the recipe was easy to follow and produced an impressively delicious cake with a lovely crumb texture. I love that Marie includes a gluten free option for many of the recipes…in fact she has written two other entirely gluten free cook books! 

I had my older son and daughter in law over for a slice of Schmoo during Superbowl of all things…who makes a cake for superbowl? I do, apparently.

Dill Pickle Dip

I also made wings (Marie has a recipe for Honey Garlic Chicken Wings) and Marie’s Dill Pickle Dip. I served it with a Canadian classic…Old Dutch Ripple Chips! 

Final Thoughts on More Than Poutine

As I grew up on the prairies, my experience with foods available across Canada was somewhat limited. The scope of the recipes in this book really surprised me, Marie has done an amazing job of resarching and covering every province and cuisine; from Bannock to Green Onion Cakes and Hodge Podge.

There are so many unique recipes in this book…I’ve never even heard of ‘Artemis’ Steak Spice, Rappie Pie, or ‘Persians’!

Finally, I’d like to apologize to Marie. I’m embarrassingly late on this review as I’ve had a copy of this book since at least October. I’ve read it back to front but struggled to find the time to try out some of the approved recipes.

The ones that I have tried, have been easy to follow and delicious so I’m looking forward to trying more. When the weather turns warmer I’m going to try the recipes for my husband’s two very favourite ice creams…Tiger Tail (which we Saskatchewanians call Tiger Tiger) and Maple Walnut. It’s not always easy to find these two flavours, even here in Alberta!

Continue to Content

Yield: 10 pieces

Schmoo Torte

Print

A soft n chewy pecan torte layered with sweetened whipping cream from Marie Porter's bookbook; More Than Poutine.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 egg whites
• 1 cup pecan meal / flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch salt
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE FROSTING

• 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons Icing (Powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE CARAMEL

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Garnish: Chopped pecans, pecan halves, etc

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line the bottom of a tube / angel food cake pan with parchment paper, set aside. (Do not grease the pan)
2. Separate egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer, allow to stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, pecan meal, and baking powder; set aside.
4. Add cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites, use a whisk attachment to bear on low until combined. Turn speed up to high, beat until stiff peaks form. Turn speed down to medium, and slowly add the sugar, a little at a time, until combined. Turn speed to low, add vanilla, mix just until combined.
5. Remove bowl from stand mixer, gently fold in the flour mixture – about ½ cup at a time – JUST until combined. Be gentle- you don’t want to deflate the eggs!
6. Gently spoon mixture into tube pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
7. Invert cake onto a cooling rack – leaving it in the pan – and allow to cool for about an hour. Remove pan, slice cake into 3 equally thick layers.
8. Whisk 2 cups of the heavy whipping cream together with the icing sugar and vanilla until very thick. Spread as filling between the 3 cake layers, stacking as you go. Use remaining whipped cream to frost the sides and center of the cake, decorate with more pecans as garnish if desired. Chill for at least two hours.
9. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, allow to cool.
10. To serve, warm the sauce, drizzle over whole torte, and/or individual slices.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 759Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 3gSugar: 56gProtein: 11g

Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.

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