WHITE CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT-DIPPED COOKIES
Ingredients
Serves about 20 to 24 cookies
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups (375 ml) white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ tsp (2 ml) peppermint extract
2 ¼ cups (532 ml) all purpose flour
½ tsp (2 ml) baking powder
½ tsp (2 ml) kosher salt
1 cup (250 ml) white chocolate
3 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix until combined.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Scoop mixture with a tablespoon and roll into balls. Place balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for about 5 minutes. Rotate the sheet and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges. Remove from oven and cool.
- Melt white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Dip half of each cookie in white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Place each cookie on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and let sit until chocolate has set.
Drink Pairings
TROPICAL FRUIT AND ROSEMARY WHITE CHOCOLATE BARS
Ingredients
Serves 42 Bars
2 lbs (1 kg) white chocolate
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced fresh rosemary
¼ tsp (1 ml) sea salt
¼ cup (60 ml) finely diced candied kiwi
¼ cup (60 ml) finely diced candied pineapple
¼ cup (60 ml) finely diced candied papaya
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped slivered almonds
Instructions
- Lightly oil a 10 x 15-in (20 x 38 cm) jelly roll pan and line with plastic wrap with edges extending over sides of pan.
- To make bars, coarsely chop white chocolate and place in a double boiler or a large bowl over simmering water. Stir gently as it begins to melt. Remove from heat just before fully melted and continue stirring until smooth.
- Stir in rosemary and salt until evenly distributed and salt has dissolved. Transfer chocolate to prepared jelly roll pan and spread out evenly, then top with candied kiwi, pineapple, papaya and almonds.
- Set bars aside for a couple of hours to slightly firm. Then score the surface into bars before refrigerating for several hours until fully firm.
- Separate into bars and store in a tightly covered container in a cool place until ready to serve.
Drink Pairings
WHISKY CINNAMON SWIRL CAKE
Ingredients
Serves 10
DOUGH:
½ cup (125 ml) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) bourbon whisky
2 tbsp (30 ml) 2 percent milk
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
2¾ cups (675 ml) all-purpose flour, divided, plus extra for dusting
3 tbsp (45 ml) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) fine sea salt
2¼ tsp (11 ml) instant yeast
1 large egg
FILLING:
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ tbsp (22 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ cup (60 ml) light brown sugar
WHISKY GLAZE:
1 cup (250 ml) icing sugar
⅛ tsp (0.5 ml) fine sea salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) 2 percent milk
1 tbsp (15 ml) bourbon whiskey
¼ tsp (1 ml) vanilla extract
¼ tsp (1 ml) finely grated lemon zest
Instructions
- To make DOUGH: In a small saucepan, stir together water, bourbon, milk and butter over medium heat. Stir until butter has melted and mixture is hot to touch.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups (560 ml) flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir in bourbon butter mixture and then egg. Add only enough of reserved ½ cup (125 ml) flour, 2 tbsp (30 ml) at a time, to make a soft dough that gently pulls away from sides of bowl.
- Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make FILLING: Fold butter, cinnamon and brown sugar together in a bowl with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Grease an 8-in (20 cm) springform pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Roll rested dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 12 x 15-in (30 x 38 cm) rectangle. Spread Filling mixture on top. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut dough into six 2-in (5 cm) wide strips. Loosely roll up 1 strip and place, upright cut-side down, in centre of prepared pan. Taking each additional strip, loosely coil around centre roll, pinching each strip to end of previous one. The dough should not quite fill the whole pan and be loose. Keeping coils loose ensures dough has room to expand as it rises. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm location until doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes. While cake is rising, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Bake cake uncovered for 15 minutes. Then lay a sheet of foil loosely over top to prevent it from becoming too dark, and continue baking another 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden brown. If some coils start to rise out of cake while baking, simply press down with back of a spatula.
- While cake is baking, make WHISKY GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients and set aside.
- When cake is done, rest in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing sides of springform pan and transferring to a serving plate. Just before serving, drizzle with Whisky Glaze. Cake is best served the same day it is made but will keep, refrigerated an airtight container or tightly covered for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Drink Pairings
WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMELIZED BANANAS
Ingredients
Serves 20
4 cups (1 L) whole milk
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 ml) freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp (1 ml) kosher salt
8 cups (2 L) sourdough bread, cut into ½ -in (1 cm) cubes
6 oz (180 g) white chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (125 ml) toasted almond slivers
6 large eggs
2 tbsp (30 ml) dark rum
2 tbsp (30 ml) dark brown sugar
1½ cups (375 ml) whipping cream, chilled
2 tbsp (30 ml) skim milk powder
½ cup (125 ml) turbinado sugar
2 large bananas, halved lengthwise and each half cut into 5 pieces
white chocolate curls, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Grease a 9 x 13-in (23 cm x 33 cm) baking pan with butter and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, bring milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together bread, chocolate, and almonds, set aside.
- Add eggs to milk mixture, and whisk until smooth. Pour custard over bread mixture and stir until evenly combined. Let sit, allowing bread to soften for 20 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared baking pan. Cover with foil, and bake until set, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing into 20 squares. Bread pudding may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- In a small saucepan, stir together rum and brown sugar over medium heat. Once sugar has melted, remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.
- In a chilled bowl, whip cream with skim milk powder to soft peaks. Pour in cooled sugar mixture and whip to stiff peaks. Refrigerate cream until ready to use.
- Place turbinado sugar on a plate and dip the flat, cut side of each banana piece in sugar to cover completely. Place sugar-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 6 minutes until sugar is melted and caramelized. Set aside for 2 minutes to harden. Place slices of bread pudding into serving containers and garnish 2 bruléed bananas, a dollop of rum cream and a sprinkle of chocolate curls.
Drink Pairings
VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA WITH BOURBON PEACHES
Ingredients
Serves 6
6 sheets gelatin
2 cups (500 ml) half and half cream
2 cups (500 ml) cold whipping cream
½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) Madagascar vanilla paste or 2 vanilla pods, seeds scraped
1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
2 fresh peaches, peeled, stone removed and each cut into 12 thin slices
2 tbsp (30 ml) raw brown sugar
2 to 3 oz (60 to 90 ml) bourbon
1 cup (250 ml) crumbled Amaretti cookies
½ cup (125 ml) fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Place gelatin sheets in a shallow bowl of cold water. Set aside for a few minutes to soften and allow to bloom.
- In a medium-sized saucepan combine half and half cream, granulated sugar and vanilla paste or seeds. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Using your hands, squeeze out excess water from gelatin sheets and add to half and half cream. Raise heat to mediumhigh and cook, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved completely.
- Remove saucepan from heat and strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl. Slowly stir in ice cold whipping cream using a spoon. Then pour into 6 individual serving glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
- When panna cotta has set and you’re ready to serve, melt butter in large frying pan. Add sliced peaches and cook until pale golden on one side. Then flip slices and add sugar. Toss over medium heat until sugar is melted. Carefully add bourbon as it will flare up. Remove pan from heat allowing flame to burn out. Cool briefly.
- Sprinkle crumbled cookies onto panna cotta and spoon peaches in bourbon sauce over top. Garnish with a few raspberries and serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
WINE-BRAISED PLUMS WITH YOGURT
Ingredients
Serves 6
½ cup (125 ml) each white wine and water
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
2 x ½-in (5 x 1.25 cm) piece of lemon zest
2 x ½-in (5 x 1.25 cm) piece of orange zest
1 lb (500 ml) freestone plums, halved, pitted, cut into wedges
3 cups (750 ml) thick plain Greek yogurt
½ cup (125 ml) hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped
½ cup (125 ml) granola
Instructions
- Combine wine, water, sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and citrus zest in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add plums and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook plums for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until plums have softened slightly. Remove saucepan from heat and set plums in syrup. Best refrigerated overnight to enhance flavour, but can be served right away.
- To serve, place ½ cup (125 ml) yogurt into serving dish. Drain plums and ladle on top. Garnish with nuts and granola.
Drink Pairings
WHISKY CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH HONEY WHISKY ICE CREAM
Ingredients
Serves 8
HONEY WHISKY ICE CREAM:
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream, divided
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
6 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (75 ml) clover honey
1 tbsp (15 ml) single malt Irish whiskey
CAKES:
4 oz (125 g) dried, pitted prunes
3 tbsp (45 ml) single malt Irish whiskey
½ lb (250 g) 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
5 large eggs
½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) ground almonds
3 tbsp (45 ml) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- To make ice cream, prepare a large ice bath with ice and water. Nestle an empty bowl in ice water bath to thoroughly chill. Add 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream to chilled bowl and set it and the ice water bath aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together remaining 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream, milk, salt and vanilla bean seeds over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, to make ice cream custard base, in large bowl, whisk egg yolks and honey until thick and light in colour. While whisking constantly, slowly pour warmed cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Transfer mixture back to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, with a heatproof spatula over medium heat. Custard base is ready when it starts to steam and coat spatula. It will register about 170 F (77 C) on a thermometer. Remove saucepan from heat and strain custard through a finemeshed sieve set over chilled cream nestled in ice water bath. Stir both together until cooled. Remove bowl from ice bath, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- To freeze ice cream, stir whiskey into custard before pouring into ice cream maker and freezing according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, cover and freeze for up to 1 week.
- To make CAKES: Soak prunes with whiskey for 2 hours, up to overnight, in a bowl. Drain, finely chop and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Generously grease 8 x ¾ cup (175 ml) ramekins or metal panna cotta moulds with butter and set aside.
- Place chocolate, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure bottom of bowl does not touch water. Stir occasionally until butter and chocolate has melted and are well combined. Remove bowl from saucepan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until thickened. Using a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate mixture, ground almonds and prunes. Divide mixture among ramekins, place on a baking sheet and bake until centre of cakes spring back when lightly pressed about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- To serve, run a small knife around cakes to loosen. Place a serving plate on top of 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Top with a scoop of Honey Whisky Ice Cream and serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE PARFAITS
Ingredients
Serves 8
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
¼ cup + 2 tbsp (60 ml + 30 ml) berry sugar, divided
½ cup (125 ml) full fat plain Greek yogurt
1 lemon, zest only
4 cups (1 L) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tbsp (15 ml) Chambord raspberry liqueur, optional
¼ tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
8 shortbread cookies, crushed
8 small perfect strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Place whipping cream in a large chilled mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in ¼ cup (60 ml) sugar until firm peaks form. Fold in yogurt and lemon zest. Transfer to a piping bag filled with a 1A piping tip and refrigerate while preparing strawberries.
- Place half the strawberries in a large bowl. Crush with a fork or a pastry blender until mashed. Add remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar, liqueur and cinnamon and stir in to blend. Very finely dice remaining strawberries and fold into mashed berries.
- To assemble, line up 8 x 6 oz (175 ml) glasses. Place a crushed shortbread cookie in the bottom of each glass reserving a few crumbs for garnish. Pipe about 2 tbsp (30 ml) cream on top of shortbread crumbs followed by a layer of crushed strawberry mixture. Repeat with another layer of cream and strawberries and ending with piped cream. Dust with shortbread crumbs and garnish with a berry. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best served the same day.
Drink Pairings
WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND MACAROONS
Ingredients
Serves 24 Macaroons
4 oz (125 g) white chocolate, broken into small pieces
2½ cups (625 ml) unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup (125 ml) slivered almonds, finely chopped
¾ cup (175 ml) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1 ml) sea salt
3 large egg whites
1 oz (30 g) white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place white chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Stir until chocolate is almost melted. Remove bowl with chocolate from simmering water and stir until creamy. Set aside until cooled, but still loose.
- In a large bowl, combine coconut, almonds, sugar and salt. Stir together to blend.
- Beat egg whites with an electric mixer just until foamy. Stir into coconut mixture until blended. Add cooled chocolate and stir until mixed.
- Using a large spoon, shape mixture into 1½ tbsp (22 ml) loosely shaped stacks about 1-in (2.5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until macaroons are firm to touch but still a little soft in centres.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and grate remaining chocolate over top of macaroons. Cool on a rack. Store macaroons for up to 3 days in a tightly covered container at room temperature.
Drink Pairings
STRAWBERRY ALMOND WHITE CHOCOLATE BARS
Ingredients
Serves 42 Bars
2 lbs (1 kg) white chocolate
½ cup (125 ml) freeze-dried sliced strawberries
⅓ cup (75 ml) dried apricots, cut into slivers
⅓ cup (75 ml) unblanched sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Lightly oil a 10 x 15-in (20 x 38 cm) jelly roll pan and line with plastic wrap with edges extending over sides of pan.
- To make bars, coarsely chop white chocolate and place in a double boiler or a large bowl over simmering water. Stir gently as it begins to melt. Remove from heat just before fully melted and continue stirring until smooth.
- Spread plain white melted chocolate out evenly on prepared jelly roll pan, then top with strawberries, apricots and sliced almonds. Gently press into melted chocolate.
- Set bars aside for a couple of hours to slightly firm. Then score the surface into bars before refrigerating for several hours until fully firm.
- Separate into bars and store in a tightly covered container in a cool place until ready to serve.