LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

SPICED MULLEDWHITE WINE Although we often think of using red wine when it comes to mulled wine, white is a won- derful lighter alternative. This mulled white wine features cozy spices such as cardamom and cloves, with a hint of orange flavour. 1 bottle (750 mL) dry white wine, such as Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay ( LCBO 142117, $10.70) 1/4 cup (60 mL) triple sec 2 star anise pods 6 cardamom pods 6 whole cloves 1/2-inch (1 cm) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced 1/4 cup (60 mL) honey or to taste Peel of 1 orange 1 pear, sliced Orange slices for garnish 1 In a large pot over medium heat, add wine, triple sec, star anise, cardamom, cloves, ginger, honey, orange peel and pear. Whisk to combine. 2 Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Do not boil. Cook on low for 30 minutes. 3 Pour into cups and garnish with orange slices. Serves 4 CHAI TEAWHITE RUSSIAN This is a classic White Russian with a cozy twist! The flavours of chai are infused directly into the vodka. Be sure to use a quality loose- leaf chai tea for maximum flavour extraction, and plan ahead to ensure the tea has ample time to infuse. Looking for a vegan option? Switch up the half & half for a creamy oat milk. CHAI VODKA 1 cup (250 mL) vodka, such as Finlandia Vodka ( LCBO 20362, $29.95) 1/4 cup (60 mL) quality loose-leaf chai tea COCKTAIL 1 1/2 oz Chai Vodka 1/2 oz coffee-flavoured liqueur, such as Conker Cold Brew ( LCBO 14610, 700 mL, $40.20) 1 oz half & half cream or to taste 1 For the Chai Vodka, to a measuring cup, add vodka and chai tea. Stir. Let stand for 2 hours, then strain. Set aside until ready to use. 2 For the cocktail, pour Chai Vodka and coffee liqueur into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Stir to combine. Top with cream. Gar- nish with star anise pod and cinnamon stick. Makes 1 drink Star anise pod for garnish Cinnamon stick for garnish

FLAKY PEAR & GORGONZOLA PASTRIES

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK & ORANGE COOKIES

Everyone loves chocolate chunk cookies, so why not add a seasonal twist to them? Cue: orange zest and ground cinnamon. These cookies, with their chewy centres and crispy edges, will quickly become your go-to choco- late chunk recipe. 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) turbinado sugar 1 egg, room temperature 1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda 3/4 tsp (4 mL) fine salt 2 tsp (10 mL) orange zest 6 oz (170 g) good-quality 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped Flaked salt for sprinkling 1 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add egg, fol- lowed by vanilla extract. Beat until combined. 2 Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add orange zest. Mix on low speed until dough comes together. Fold in chocolate until evenly distributed. 3 Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours or, for best results, overnight. 4 When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 5 Divide dough into 16 rounds and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Press to flatten and top with pinch flaked salt. 6 Bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching sheets halfway through, until edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

This turnover is a sweet and savoury treat that’s good for any time of day. The pears are caramelized before being added to sheets of store-bought puff pastry, sprinkled with walnuts for crunch and finished with Gor- gonzola for saltiness. Serve warm or at room temperature. 2 Bosc pears, peeled, thinly sliced 1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter 2 tbsp (30 mL) light brown sugar Pinch fine salt 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, thawed 1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted walnuts 1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 1 large egg, lightly beaten Flaked salt for topping 1 To a skillet over low heat, add pears, butter, brown sugar and salt. Continuously stirring, cook until pears have just started to cara- melize, about 5 minutes. Let cool while you prepare pastry. 2 Roll out each sheet of puff pastry to form a 12-inch (30 cm) square. Cut each sheet into 4 evenly sized squares, making a total of 8 squares. Turn pastry 45 degrees to create diamond shapes. 3 Evenly divide pear mixture, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese among puff pastry, keep- ing all ingredients in centre of diamond. 4 Brush exposed edges generously with egg. Fold 2 opposing corners into middle and pinch together to seal tightly, leaving rest of filling exposed. Brush tops with remaining egg and sprinkle with flaked salt. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while oven heats up. 5 Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). 6 Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

Makes 8 pastries

Makes 16 large cookies

278

HOLIDAY 2021 FOOD & DRINK