LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2017

WEEKNIGHT Special from page 199

Sweet MEMORIES from page 191

GARNISH Fresh fruit such as currants or raspberries and/or cinnamon sticks Icing sugar 1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease three 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23-cm) cake pans. 2 Whisk flour with ground almonds and bak- ing powder in a medium bowl. Whisk in lemon zest. 3 Using a stand or hand-held electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in a very large bowl. Then beat in eggs 1 at a time. Fold in flour mix- ture until almost mixed. Beat in enough milk to loosen batter, although it should still be thick. Beat just until mixed. Fold in currants, raisins, candied peel, glacé fruit and slivered almonds. 4 Spoon into prepared cake pans. Smooth tops as best you can. Bake in centre of preheated oven until deep golden, about 55 minutes. Re- move to racks. Let cool 10 minutes. Turn onto racks and cool completely. 5 Meanwhile, prepare icing. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with butter in a large bowl over low until evenly mixed. Slowly add icing sugar until evenly mixed, scraping down sides as needed. You may need to continue beating on medium speed until smooth. Beat in rum and rum extract. Refrigerate to firm up a bit. 6 When cakes are completely cool, set 1 cake on a cake plate or serving dish. Dollop with just enough frosting to cover with a thin layer. Evenly spread to the edge. Continue with re- maining cakes and frosting, spreading a thin layer around outside of cake for “naked” cake look. 7 Refrigerate for at least an hour to set icing. If making ahead, cake will keep well for at least a day or 2 in the fridge. 8 Decorate with fresh fruit and/or cinnamon sticks and dust with icing sugar. Slice just be- fore serving. Makes 12 to 16 servings

RAD ICCH IO & END I VE SALAD WI TH BACON LARDONS & CLEMENT INES

Radicchio and endive are lettuces known for their bitter flavour. Balance is found with the help of sweet clementines and a decadent warm bacon vinaigrette in this colourful salad. It’s bright and festive with layers of purples, greens and orange. Perfect for weeknight en- tertaining, it comes together in a snap. 5 strips thick bacon, thinly sliced across the grain

FRESH LAYERED CHRI STMAS FRUITCAKE WITH RUM ICING Don’t worry if you didn’t start fruitcake-making in July. The solution is to enjoy all those dried and candied fruit flavours in a Dundee fruit- cake. It seemed fitting to use my Glaswegian Grandma Jarvie’s traditional batter for this nostalgia-dessert-themed recipe. It’s a cake that can be enjoyed any time of the year (and is rumoured to be a favourite of the Queen). To make it celebration-worthy I’ve frosted it with a rum-laced icing. Easily decorate it by leaving the cake sides exposed—it’s trendy and Grandma Jarvie would have approved of the fuss-free technique. CAKE 3½ cups (875 mL) all-purpose flour 1 pkg (100 g) ground almonds 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder 2 tsp (10 mL) freshly grated lemon zest 1½ cups (375 mL) unsalted butter, softened 1½ cups (375 mL) lightly packed brown sugar 6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature 3 to 6 tbsp (45 to 90 mL) milk 1 cup (250 mL) each dried currants, raisins

4 tsp (20 mL) grainy dijon mustard 2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper 1 head radicchio 1 head Belgian endive 3 clementines, peeled and sliced in ½ inch (1 cm) rounds ¼ cup (60 mL) thinly sliced red onion ½ cup (125 mL) Italian parsley leaves

1 Heat bacon in a pan over medium-high. Cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel- lined plate. Reserve 3 tbsp (45 mL) of bacon fat in a small bowl. 2 To make the dressing, stir mustard into hot bacon fat. Slowly whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper. 3 Tear leaves from radicchio and endive and arrange on a platter. Top with bacon lardons, clementine slices and red onion. Garnish with parsley leaves. Drizzle warm dressing over salad. Serves 4 as an appetizer or side

and chopped candied citrus peel ½ cup (125 mL) chopped glacé or candied fruit mix 1 pkg (100 g) slivered almonds ICING 1 block (250 g) cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1½ cups (375 mL) sifted icing sugar

WHAT TO SERVE Konzelmann Canada White VQA LCBO 125278 Fresh Beginnings Moscato VQA LCBO 341776

WHAT TO SERVE Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum LCBO 520353 Raynal XO 15 Years Old Brandy LCBO 116103

$13.10

$28.95

$12.95

$36.95

2 tbsp (30 mL) dark rum 1 tsp (5 mL) rum extract

232  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2017