LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2022

glass. Tawny port is the default for treats involving toffee or milk chocolate, and it would work here. Icewine is an even better idea. It has the requisite sweetness but also an intense and balancing acidity that will add an extra thrill as it cuts through the sugar. Peller Estates Private Reserve Vidal Icewine VQA (VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 18564, 200mL, $27.95) is an exemplary version, full of honey, peach orchard and tropical fruit aromas that make an extra contribution to the moment.

Each bite of this elaborate confection begins with crunchy caramel followed by soft pastry and luscious pastry cream—and it is the flavour of that cream that offers a chance for seasonal variations. Simmering a cinnamon stick or cardamom pods in the milk infuses chai-like nuances. Using coconut extract or a dash of kirsch instead of rum extract would work if the croquembouche was the centrepiece at a spring or summer wedding—you may want to sub in pink icing for

the caramel glaze, too. Tuck in edible flowers between the puffs to create an even more Instagrammable moment. For fall, flavour the pastry cream with Poire Williams liqueur and replace the caramel glaze with maple icing.

5. CELEBRATION CROQUEMBOUCHE P. 233

CARAMEL WEDDINGS A dessert where caramel is a primary component needs a genuinely sweet partner in the