LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2022

to taste. Grill until charred and tender, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, cut into strips, and set aside. 4. Place bulgur, water, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with fork. 5. While bulgur is still warm, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, red onion, green onion, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. 6. Spoon avocado dressing on bottom of serving dish. Pile salad in centre of dish, then top with grilled peppers and tortilla strips.

baking sheets with parchment paper. (If you don’t have four sheets, you can reuse trays as they come out of the oven.) 4. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. 5. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until creamy, scraping bottom of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until slightly pale and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in egg, then yolk and vanilla, scraping bottom and sides of bowl with each addition, until just combined. Gradually add flour mixture on lowest speed, until just combined. Refrigerate dough for 15 to 20 minutes if too soft to handle. 6. Working one tray at a time, scoop heaping 1 tbsp (15 mL) dough and gently roll into a ball. Roll or swirl in bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared sheets— about three rows of four. Gently press a pretzel into the top of each cookie to flatten lightly. 7. Bake cookies until tops crackle and cookies are golden around edges, 11 to 12 minutes. (Prepare next round while cookies are baking.) When you remove each cookie sheet from the oven, tap sheet on counter a few times to flatten cookies slightly and encourage more crackling. Let cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely. Make one more tray with pretzels then two trays without pretzels for the sandwich bottoms. 8. To assemble, fill flat side of each plain cookie with heaping 1 tbsp (15 mL) of brown butter filling then sandwich with pretzel topped cookie on top. Dip one side of filling in chopped peanuts or pretzels.

BROWN BUTTER FILLING 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups (425 mL) icing sugar, sifted 1/2 tsp (2 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine sea salt COOKIES 1 2/3 cups (410 mL) all-purpose flour (measured using the spoon and sweep method) 1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt 3/4 tsp (4 mL) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder 3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup (250 mL) creamy peanut butter (not natural), preferably Jif 2/3 cup (150 mL) light brown sugar, packed 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) pure vanilla extract 24 to 26 small pretzels 1/2 cup (125 mL) roasted, salted peanuts, chopped, or 12 pretzels, chopped, for rolling 1. For the filling, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir often, until butter is fragrant and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Scrape butter and browned bits into a shallow heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until almost firm, about 40 minutes. 2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat chilled browned butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth and light. Gradually beat in icing sugar and salt until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. (Filling will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 5 days. Soften before using.)

WARM BULGUR & CHICKPEA SALAD WITH GRILLED PEPPERS & AVOCADO DRESSING Bulgur is a delicious, versatile grain that has many uses beyond tabbouleh. Here, it’s the star of a warm vegetarian salad with chickpeas, smoky peppers and a creamy avocado dressing. AVOCADO DRESSING 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped, about 1 cup (250 mL) 3/4 cup (175 mL) water 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice 1 shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste SALAD 3 red peppers, halved, seeded 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp (60 mL + 45 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chipotle pepper powder 3/4 cup (175 mL) cracked bulgur 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) water 1 tsp (5 mL) fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, drained, rinsed 1 cup (250 mL) diced cucumber 1 cup (250 mL) diced plum tomato 1 cup (250 mL) diced red onion 1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced green onion 1/2 cup (125 mL) parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves, roughly chopped 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice 1 cup (250 mL) tortilla strips 1. For the dressing, combine avocado, water, oil, lemon juice, lime juice, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dressing is best used the day it is made to avoid browning.

Serves 4 to 6

Sweet Spot from page 125

PEANUT BUTTER & PRETZEL SANDWICH COOKIES These decadent cookies check off all the boxes: crispy edges, chewy centres and big peanut flavour. The brown-butter filling is both sweet and savoury, and pretzels give the cookies a satisfying crunch. For the best crackle effect, use Jif peanut butter.

2. For the salad, preheat grill to high.

3. Toss pepper halves with 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, chipotle and salt

3. For the cookies, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line four

Makes 24 to 26 sandwich cookies

168 FOOD & DRINK EARLY SUMMER 2022