LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

SWEET & SALTY LOG CABIN A crisp and crunchy granola bar base subs in for the classic gingerbread dough in this Sweet & Salty Log Cabin. The granola bar is a sturdy material for construction and, when combined with sugary chocolate ganache and plenty of savoury pretzels, produces a sweet and salty lover’s dream house. Find the templates to make this cabin at lcbo.com/foodanddrink.

4 In a medium pot, combine honey, coconut oil and brown sugar. Bring mixture just to a boil, whisking to combine. Remove from heat. Stir hot honey mixture into oat mixture in bowl. Mix until no dry spots remain. Evenly di- vide mixture between prepared pans. Spread into an even layer and press mixture firmly into base of pans (the bottom of a measuring cup or silicone spatula works well here). Sprinkle with flaked salt. 5 Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer granola to a cutting board. 6 Using a serrated knife, cut each piece of granola in half widthwise. Reserve 2 halves for roof pieces. Using a serrated knife, cut front and back pieces of house, using template. Re- serve leftover small triangle pieces from front and back of house. 7 Decorate front panel of house. Attach pret­ zel windows and wafer doors to flat side of front panel with chocolate ganache. Cut pret- zel rods to fit around door and windows. Use chocolate ganache to attach. A serrated knife helps make clean cuts on pretzel rods. Place in fridge to set, 15 minutes. Decorate back panel as well, if desired. 8 To assemble, place half of chocolate ga­ nache in a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch (1 cm) round piping tip. Refill piping bag with ganache as needed. 9 To build house, place back wall panel flat on a cutting board. Take 1 small triangle piece of granola and pipe a thick line of ganache along longest perpendicular edge. Attach triangle so it is flush with bottom left-hand side of base of back of house. Repeat this step with other triangle, placing it flush with bottom right-hand side. Repeat this process with front panel of house, affixing triangles to undecorat- ed side of panel. Place pieces in fridge to set, 15 minutes. 10 For side walls, stand front and back pieces of house upright on a serving board. Build side walls using pretzel rods. Place front and back pieces close enough together so pretzel rods will connect both sides of house and create a side wall on either side, using chocolate ganache to attach. 11 To assemble roof, pipe ganache along an- gles of both peaked wall panels. Attach 1 roof panel so it meets peaked wall and pretzel rod side wall. Repeat with other roof panel. Adjust so each side is even. Pipe ganache at peak of roof where both roof panels meet. Place in fridge to fully set ganache, about 15 minutes.

12 To assemble chimney, attach 2 vanilla wafers together using chocolate ganache. Let set in fridge, 10 minutes. Cut bottom on an angle that fits to roof. Coat sides in chocolate ganache. Attach chocolate pebbles. Let set in fridge, 10 minutes. Attach chimney using choc- olate ganache and let set in fridge, 15 minutes. 13 To finish house, add additional details using dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and sweet and salty snacks on front, top and sides of house, using chocolate ganache to attach. When ready to serve, scatter sweet and salty popcorn and chocolate pebbles or other snacks around house. Serve on same day as construction.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE 6 oz (170 g) dark baking chocolate, finely chopped 3/4 cup (175 mL) 35% whipping cream SWEET & SALTY GRANOLA BARS Butter for pans 4 cups (1 L) large-flake rolled oats 2/3 cup (150 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda 1 tsp (5 mL) salt 2/3 cup (150 mL) honey 1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut oil 1/4 cup (60 mL) light brown sugar Flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Makes 1 cabin

WHAT TO SERVE Chocolate, walnut and dried fruit flavours in this port will augment the sweet and salty elements in the cabin. Its concentration counters the ganache’s density. Graham’s 10 Years Old Tawny Port LCBO 404012, $29.95

TO ASSEMBLE Pretzel squares Vanilla wafer cookies Pretzel rods Chocolate pebbles Assorted dried fruits

Comfort and joy from page 191

TOURTIÈRE SLAB PIE My dad makes a tourtière every Christmas Eve, but he never makes the same recipe twice. I’ve eaten a lot of variations over the years and developed a lot of strong opinions. For me, a tourtière needs to have a flaky but sturdy crust, the right mix of meat (all pork, but a variety of cuts), some textural variation between bites and, most importantly, enough for leftovers. This slab pie ticks all the boxes. It’s a bit of a project, but I promise the return on the investment will make it well worth your time. PASTRY 1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces, divided 1 cup (250 mL) lard, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces, divided 5 cups (1.25 L) all-purpose flour, divided 2 tsp (10 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Assorted salted nuts and seeds Assorted sweet and salty snacks Sweet and salty popcorn

1 For the chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Place cream in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Pour hot cream over chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk gently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and glossy. Cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours until stiff but still pliable. Once cool, place ganache in bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attach- ment, whip ganache until doubled in size and lighter in colour. Place back in bowl until ready to use. 2 For the granola bars, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter two 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) bak- ing pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, overhanging edges on 2 sides. 3 In a large bowl, whisk together rolled oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt.

or 1 tsp (5 mL) table salt, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) ice water, divided

266

HOLIDAY 2021 FOOD & DRINK