LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2022

JUST DESSERTS

Baking Boosters Use liqueur to add a grown-up spin to a cake soak plus give it a moister texture and deeper flavour. LIQUEUR-SOAKED CAKE Mix your chosen liqueur with simple syrup—a ratio of 1/4 cup (60 mL) liqueur per 1 cup (250 mL) simple syrup generally hits the right balance. Poke a few tiny holes in the top of your cake using a skewer or toothpick and then use a pastry brush to coat the surface with the liqueur-syrup mixture. › Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Brandy (LCBO 185280, 700 mL, $76.25) adds oomph to a store-bought fruit cake. › A cream liquor like Baileys S’mores (LCBO 27692, $32.45) can bring velvety sweetness to coffee cake.

› Disaronno Originale Amaretto (LCBO 2253,

If you’ve got a dry fruitcake or stollen on your hands, a drizzle of liqueur can work wonders.

$32.15) gives a plain vanilla cake a subtle almond flavour.

1. Liqueurs are best

2. Most liqueurs are best consumed within 1 year of opening, though those with 40 per cent alcohol by volume or more can often go a year or two longer.

3. The smaller the amount

STAY FRESH

Get more life out of your liqueurs with these storage tips that will help you keep them at their best and preserve their full flavour.

stored in a dark place, at room temperature or cooler, to preserve their quality. The exception is cream liqueur, which should be kept in the fridge.

remaining in the bottle, the more the liqueur tends to oxidize, so it’s best to use up the leftovers as soon as possible once you’re down to less than about one third of the bottle.

182 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2022