Empress
Ingredients
Serves 1
2 oz (60 ml) Ron Zacapa Solera 23 Rum
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
¾ oz (25 ml) Turmeric Honey*
1 oz (30 ml) aquafaba** or egg white
2 dashes of Bittered Sling Arabica Coffee Bitters
edible dried flowers, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and dry shake with one ice cube to aerate aquafaba or egg white. Fill shaker with ice and hard shake. Double strain into a chilled large coupe.
- * Combine 2 cups (500 ml) honey with 1 cup (250 ml) hot water, 2 tsp (10 ml) ground turmeric and stir to combine. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
- ** The liquid leftover from a drained can of chickpeas.
Featuring
Double Entendre
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Dewar’s 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky
½ oz (15 ml) Montenegro Amaro
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
¾ oz (22 ml) Earl Grey Syrup *
2 dashes of Bittered Sling Clingstone Peach Bitters
1 whole egg
edible gold flakes, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with one ice cube, combine all ingredients. (The ice cube will help aerate the egg white and yolk in the shaker, and keep the cocktail from getting warm, making it even fluffier!) Dry shake for 10 seconds. Fill shaker with ice, hard shake and double strain into a large chilled coupe. Garnish with edible gold flakes.
- * In a heatsafe container, combine 3 heaping tablespoons of Earl Grey tea with 2 cups (500 ml) each white sugar and hot water and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Fine strain and squeeze out any extra liquid from the tea bags. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
Featuring
Red Star Line
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Ketel One Vodka
1/3 oz (10 ml) Bols Cherry Brandy
1/3 oz (10 ml) Bols Apricot Brandy
½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) natural, unsweetened cranberry juice
¼ oz (7 ml) simple syrup (1:1 ratio suger, with water)
2 dashes Bittered Sling Autumn Bog Cranberry Bitters
lemon zest “hairs,” for garnish
Instructions
- In a Collins glass over crushed ice, combine all ingredients then stir. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with lemon “hairs.”
Featuring
Skar Skar Mule
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Aalborg Taffel Akvavit
½ oz (15 ml) Alvear Medium Dry Sherry
½ oz (15 ml) lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) grapefruit juice
½ oz (15 ml) Hibiscus Syrup *
2 oz (60 ml) ginger beer
grapefruit wedge, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients except for ginger beer, and lightly hard shake. Add ginger beer to shaker and strain over ice into a mule mug or rocks glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
- * In a heatsafe container, combine 3 heaping tablespoons of dried hibiscus flowers with 2 cups (500 ml) each white sugar and hot water and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Fine strain and squeeze out any extra liquid from flowers. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.
Featuring
Love Is…
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 fresh strawberry
1 sugar cube
1 oz (30 ml) Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin
½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice
2 oz (60 ml) Cono Sur Rosé Sparkling Wine
extra strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, lightly muddle 1 strawberry and 1 sugar cube. Combine gin and lemon juice with muddle mixture. Add cubed ice and stir to chill. Fine strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Featuring
Pink Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
1¼ cups (310 ml) flour
¾ tsp (4 ml) baking powder
½ cup (125 ml) salted butter, softened
½ cup (125 ml) sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
3 drops red food dye
½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk, divided
½ tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar
Cream Cheese Buttercream, make ahead, recipe follows
CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM
1 cup (250 ml) salted butter, softened
8 oz (250 g) package cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
3½ cups (875 ml) icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Line mini cupcake pan with mini liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, vanilla and food dye. Mix in half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining. Combine baking soda and vinegar and mix into batter. Spoon batter into lined cupcake tin and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing.
- CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in cream cheese and vanilla. Add sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) at a time, mixing as you go. Place in a piping bag and store at room temperature until ready to use.
Drink Pairings
Savoury Scones with Cranberry Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
½ cup (125 ml) cold salted butter
3 cups (750 ml) flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
3 cups (750 ml) grated white cheddar
1 tsp (5 ml) pepper
1 cup (250 ml) finely chopped chives
2 eggs, divided
½ cup (125 ml) + ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, divided
1 cup (250 ml) cream cheese
½ cup (125 ml) cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Place butter in freezer.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cheddar, pepper and chives.
- In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and ½ cup (125 ml) milk.
- Remove butter from freezer and grate pea-size pieces into flour. Mix lightly. Mix in wet ingredients and shape dough to form a ball. Place on a floured surface and roll to 1-in (2.5 cm) thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into hearts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Mix together remaining egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a food processor, blend cream cheese and cranberry sauce. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Pipe onto scones or serve alongside.
Drink Pairings
Tuna Poke on Wontons
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 cups (500 ml) sunflower oil
12 wonton wrappers
1 x 4 oz (125 g) good quality tuna steak, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
1 tsp (5 ml) Sriracha
1 green onion
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame seeds, toasted
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pan, over medium heat, heat oil. Fry wontons in small batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Allow to rest on a paper towel while preparing tuna.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and place mixture over wontons to serve.
Drink Pairings
Beets Endive
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 medium beets
2 endives
¼ cup (60 ml) blue cheese
¼ cup (60 ml) walnuts
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Wrap beets in foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until fork-tender. Gently peel away skin and cut into ¼-in (0.5 cm) squares. Cut off base of endives, peel each leaf and place on a serving platter. Fill endive boats with beets, blue cheese and walnuts.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine honey and olive oil, season to taste. Drizzle over endive and serve.
Drink Pairings
Clootie Pudding served with Drambuie Cream
Ingredients
Serves 12
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
¾ cup (175 ml) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
½ cup (125 ml) frozen, coarsely grated vegetable shortening
¾ cup (175 ml) yellow raisins
½ cup (125 ml) currants
½ cup (125 ml) pitted and chopped Medjool dates
⅓ cup (75 ml) chopped dried apricots
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp (15 ml) fancy molasses
1 large egg
½ cup (125 ml) + 2 tbsp (30 ml) buttermilk
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
4 tsp (20 ml) icing sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) Drambuie
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Into a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt. With a wooden spoon, stir in sugar, frozen shortening, dried fruits and grated apple.
- In a small bowl, whisk together molasses, egg and buttermilk. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture to form a stiff batter.
- In a large bowl, pour some boiling water over a clean old pillowcase, a pudding cloth or a clean tea towel. Wearing rubber gloves to protect hands, remove it and carefully wring out as much water as possible. Lay it out flat on a clean work surface and sprinkle generously with flour and about 2 tbsp (30 ml) granulated sugar. Spoon pudding mixture onto centre of cloth, loosely bring up edges around mixture and secure tightly with a piece of kitchen string. Do not wrap cloth too tightly around batter, as it will expand during cooking.
- Place a folded kitchen towel in a heatproof (preferably ceramic) bowl, large enough to accommodate pudding, in base of a large, deep saucepan. Place pudding in bowl, knotted side up. Pour in enough boiling water to just cover pudding. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring water to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 hours. Check water level often and top up if necessary.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Lift pudding from saucepan and dip briefly in a large bowl of ice-cold water. Then remove cloth and place pudding on an ovenproof baking dish or platter. Bake for 15 minutes, until outside of pudding has dried off.
- While pudding bakes, make Drambuie Cream. In a large bowl, whisk together cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Whisk in Drambuie. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Serve pudding warm, cut into chunky wedges, with dollops of Drambuie Cream.