Strawberry Hibiscus Curd Tarts
Ingredients
Serves about 30 tarts
¾ lb (340 g) strawberries, plus extra sliced strawberries for garnish (optional)
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar, divided
1½ tbsp (22 ml) dried hibiscus flowers
3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
2 tsp (10 ml) cornstarch
6 tbsp + ½ cup (90 + 125 ml) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, divided
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ tsp (2.5 ml) almond extract
1½ cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (175 ml) almond flour
½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
Instructions
- Start by making strawberry hibiscus curd. In a blender, purée strawberries until smooth. Pass strawberry purée through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding whatever remains in sieve. You should have at least ¾ cup (175 ml) purée. Set aside.
- Pulse ½ cup (125 ml) sugar and dried hibiscus in a food processor until hibiscus is finely ground.
- Prepare a double boiler by fitting a heatproof bowl over a large pot filled with at least 1-in (2.5 cm) simmering water. Take care that bowl does not touch water. Remove bowl to a work surface, and in it whisk together hibiscus-sugar, ¾ cup (175 ml) strawberry purée, eggs, egg yolks, lime juice and cornstarch. Return bowl to pot of water and adjust heat to medium-high. Cook, whisking continuously, until mixture thickens and reaches 170 F (77 C) on a thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and strain curd through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula to push as much through sieve as possible. Discard anything remaining in sieve. Add 6 tbsp (90 ml) butter, 1 cube at a time, to the warm curd, whisking to make sure each piece is fully melted and incorporated before adding next piece. Cover entire surface of curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making tart shells.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together remaining ½ cup (125 ml) sugar, ½ cup (125 ml) butter, salt, vanilla extract and almond extract until well combined. Add flours and continue stirring on low speed until mixture clings together when squeezed. Press a firmly packed, rounded tablespoon of crust mixture into bottom and up sides of each cup in a mini muffin pan. Place muffin pan in freezer for 15 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake until tart shells are golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let tart shells cool in pan to room temperature.
- Once cooled, carefully remove tart shells from muffin pan and place on a platter. Divide curd evenly into shells and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving.
- To serve, whip cream to soft peaks. Place a dollop of cream on each tart and garnish with some sliced strawberry, if desired.
Drink Pairings
Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Salad with Sriracha Aioli
Ingredients
Serves 3 to 4
Sriracha Aioli, make ahead, recipe follows
4 oz (125 ml) cream cheese, softened
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 ml) sriracha
salt and pepper, to taste
2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise into strips
7 oz (200 g) thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into roughly 4-in (10 cm) strips
½ cup (125 ml) Pickled Onions, make ahead, recipe follows
½ cup (125 ml) lukewarm water
2 tbsp (30 ml) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) table salt
½ cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) capers, to taste
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh dill leaves
½ cup (125 ml) curly endive leaves
Instructions
- TO MAKE SRIRACHA AIOLI: Using a hand blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes about ¾ cup (175 ml)
- Spoon 2 tbsp (30 ml) Sriracha Aioli onto each serving plate. Roll cucumber into curls and arrange over aioli.
- Make smoked salmon rosettes by stacking roughly 3 to 4 smoked salmon strips on top of each other, about ½-in (1.25 cm) askew. Roll from one end to the other. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut rolled salmon in half. Placing cut edge on plate, lightly flare out top edges of rolled salmon halves into rosettes. Place as desired around cucumber curls.
- Top with Pickled Onions and capers to taste, then garnish with dill and curly endive as desired.
- TO MAKE PICKLED ONIONS: In a large non-reactive bowl, stir together water, sugar, salt and vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add onion and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Will keep in refrigerator in an airtight non-reactive container for up to 1 week. Makes about 1 cup (250 ml)
- Using a piping bag or squeeze bottle, pipe remaining Sriracha Aioli around salad to decorate.
Drink Pairings
Herb Parmesan Scones
Ingredients
Serves 15 scones
1¼ cups (310 ml) spelt flour
1¼ cups (310 ml) all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
1½ tsp (7 ml) fine sea salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1⅓ cups (325 ml) plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
¼ cup (60 ml) finely grated Parmesan, divided
butter or clotted cream, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). Place an ungreased baking sheet in oven while it is preheating.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flours, salt and baking powder. Add butter and rub it into flour mixture using fingertips, two butter knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal and butter is pea-sized
- In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together yogurt, chives, tarragon and 2 tbsp (30 ml) Parmesan. Add yogurt mixture to flour and butter mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Take care not to overmix; it is fine if there are a few patches of flour mixture remaining.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead together about 4 or 5 times until dough comes together.
- Press dough into a 1-in (2.5 cm) thick square then cut in half and stack one half on top of the other. Repeat twice more. Pat dough into a rectangle about ¾-in (2 cm) thick, then cut into 15 squares, each about 1½-in (3.75 cm) across.
- Transfer biscuits to preheated baking sheet, leaving about ½-in (1.25 cm) between each. Sprinkle tops of scones with remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) Parmesan. Bake, rotating pan halfway through cooking time, until bottoms are deeply golden brown and baked through, about 10 to 13 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature the same day with butter or clotted cream, if desired.
Drink Pairings
Parker House Rolls served with Honey Butter
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, warmed
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
2 x ¼ oz (7 g) envelopes instant yeast
½ cup plus 3 tbsp (125 + 45 ml) unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 large eggs
6 cups (1.5 L) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) kosher salt
2 tsp (10 ml) flaky sea salt
1 tsp (5 ml) thyme leaves
Honey Butter, recipe follows, to serve
½ cup (125 ml) honey
1 cup (250 ml butter, softened
1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt
Instructions
- In bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until yeast has dissolved and is bubbly.
- Add ½ cup (125 ml) butter, eggs, flour and kosher salt. Mix with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. If you do not have a mixer, mix and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer dough to a clean bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour, depending on temperature of room. Or, place in refrigerator and let rise overnight.
- Grease a 9 x 11-in (23 x 28 cm) oven-safe casserole or baking dish. Roll dough out to 1-in (2.5 cm) thick and cut into rounds with a 3-in (8 cm) biscuit cutter. Fold each round in half like a taco and stand the “tacos” in casserole, open side facing up. Re-roll and cut excess dough and repeat.
- Cover with a damp towel and let proof until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Transfer rolls to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. While rolls are still warm, brush with remaining 3 tbsp (45 ml) melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt and thyme. Serve with Honey Butter.
- TO MAKE THE HONEY BUTTER: Mix all ingredients together until combined, then transfer to a serving dish. Makes 1½ cups (325 ml)
Drink Pairings
Farro Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
Serves 6
½ cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced chives
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups (500 ml) uncooked farro
3 cups (750 ml) mixed greens
2 stalks celery, cut into ½-in (1.25 cm) slices on the bias
1 apple, cored and cut into ½-in (1.25 cm) slices
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled Stilton cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) walnut pieces, toasted
1 cup (250 ml) microgreens
Instructions
- Cook farro according to package directions, then let cool to room temperature. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce, chives, parsley, salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- In a salad bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. When ready to serve, toss with dressing and enjoy.
Drink Pairings
Raspberry & Jasmine Tea Cream Scones
Ingredients
Serves about 20 scones
2½ cups (625 ml) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
5 tbsp (75 ml) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) Jasmine tea leaves
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
6 tbsp (90 ml) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into large chunks
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
2 large eggs, divided
½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup (250 ml) fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, thawed and drained
2 tsp (10 ml) water
demerara sugar, for garnish
butter, jam and clotted cream, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, tea leaves, baking powder and salt. Add butter and rub it into flour mixture using fingertips, two butter knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal and butter is pea-sized.
- In a glass measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together cream, 1 egg and vanilla. Pour cream mixture into flour and butter mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Scatter raspberries on top of dough and gently knead raspberries into dough using hands or a pastry scraper, until raspberries are evenly distributed throughout. Because of raspberries, dough will be quite moist at this point; lightly flour work surface as needed to prevent sticking.
- Pat dough into a circle about ¾-in (2 cm) thick, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Once oven is hot, use a 2-in (5 cm) round cookie cutter dipped in flour to punch out circles of dough. Cut them as closely to one another as possible and you should get about 14 rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking sheet as you go. Gather and gently re-shape dough scraps into a ¾-in (2 cm) thick round and punch out more circles; you should be able to get another 5 to 6. Place on prepared baking sheet and discard any remaining dough (re-rolling it will result in a tough scone).
- In a small bowl, beat remaining egg with water until well combined. Lightly brush tops of scones with egg wash, then sprinkle evenly with demerara sugar.
- Bake scones, rotating pan halfway through cooking time, until golden brown, about 13 to 18 minutes. Allow scones to sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature the same day with butter, jam and clotted cream, if desired.
Drink Pairings
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing & Candied Carrot Curls
Ingredients
Serves 6
½ cup (125 ml) lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup (125 ml) white sugar
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) grated carrot
½ tsp (2.5 ml) orange zest
1½ cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground allspice
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground ginger
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt
Cream Cheese Icing, recipe follows
1 x 8 oz (250 g) block cream cheese, softened
½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups (750 ml) icing sugar, sifted
¼ tsp (1 ml) kosher salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) orange zest
1 tsp (5 ml) orange juice
Candied Carrot Curls, recipe follows, for garnish
2 large carrots, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
Raw, slivered pistachios, for garnish
Instructions
- Grease an 8½ x 4½-in (21.5 x 11.5 cm) loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 F (170C).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugars, oil and eggs until light and creamy. Fold in carrot and orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and fold together until combined.
- Transfer to oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cake cool completely, then remove from pan. Frost with Cream Cheese Icing and garnish with pistachios and Candied Carrot Curls. Makes one 8½ x 4½-in (21.5 x 11.5 cm) loaf cake
- TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE ICING: In a large bowl, using a mixer or wooden spoon, cream the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, mixing well between each addition. Add salt, orange zest and juice and mix until combined. Makes enough for 1 loaf cake.
- TO MAKE CANDIED CARROT CURLS: Using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips off carrots, aiming to keep as many pieces intact as possible. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and return to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Preheat oven to 250 F (130 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove carrots from syrup and gently drain, being careful not to break the strips. Lay strips in a single layer on lined baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, gather clean items from kitchen that have cylindrical handles of various sizes, such as wooden spoons, a whisk and/or a saucepan handle. Remove carrots from oven and immediately and carefully wrap them around handles to create curls. Let carrots cool around handle, then carefully remove them.
Drink Pairings
Pink Kiss
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Bombay Bramble Gin
1½ oz (45 ml) fresh pineapple juice
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup*
dried pineapple slice**, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine all ingredients. Shake vigorously, then fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a dried pineapple slice. * 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using. ** Store-bought, or use recipe method in footnote of Resourceful Afternoon Punch recipe.
Featuring
Pink Berry Collins
Ingredients
Serves 1
2 oz (60 ml) New Amsterdam Pink Whitney Vodka
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ oz (7 ml) grenadine
4 oz (120 ml) soda water
Fresh strawberries and raspberries, for garnish
Instructions
- In a Collins glass without ice, combine vodka, lemon juice and grenadine. Add soda water, then fill glass with cubed ice. Garnish with strawberries and raspberries.
Featuring
Pear & Ginger Crêpes served with Cinnamon Cream
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch table salt
3 tbsp (45 ml) butter, divided
3 to 4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, cut into ½-in (1.25 cm) x 1½-in (3.75 cm) chunks
⅓ cup (75 ml) chopped crystallized ginger
2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
½ tbsp (7 ml) cornstarch
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
Classic Crêpes, make ahead, recipe follows
1 cup (250 ml) flour
pinch table salt
¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) milk
½ cup (125 ml) water
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil, divided
Cinnamon Cream, make ahead, recipe follows
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside. In a large skillet or wok, melt 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter over medium heat. Add pears, crystallized ginger and sugar, then increase heat to high and sauté until edges of pears start turning golden brown.
- Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle cinnamon mixture over pears. Mix well to coat. Continue cooking, uncovered, for another 3 to 5 minutes, until pears are fragrant and most of the released liquid evaporates.
- In a small bowl, mix together water and cornstarch and add to pears, stirring well until liquid in skillet thickens, about 10 seconds. Add lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter and stir until butter melts and is incorporated into pear filling, about 30 to 45 seconds. Turn off heat and cover. Set aside.
- To assemble, spoon desired amount of filling into centre of each Classic Crêpe and fold sides in towards centre to create a cone. Top with Cinnamon Cream and chopped pecans, if using.
- To prepare Classic Crêpes, In a large bowl, lightly whisk together flour, salt and sugar until blended. Add milk, water, eggs and vanilla and whisk together until smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover and allow to rest at least 30 minutes or overnight, if possible.
- In a 10-in (25 cm) non-stick skillet or crêpe pan, heat about ¾ tsp (4 ml) vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Give batter a quick stir and, using a ladle, pour about ⅓ cup (75 ml) batter into hot skillet and carefully but quickly swirl skillet to evenly distribute batter over surface. Cook until edges start to brown, about 1 minute, then flip and continue cooking for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, monitoring and adjusting heat level as needed to prevent burning. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. Loosely cover with foil to keep warm until ready to fill. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To Prepare Cinnamon Cream, In a medium bowl, using a whisk, hand blender or hand mixer, whisk all ingredients together until whipped cream holds medium peaks. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Makes about 1½ cups (375 ml)