LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

MISTLETOE MOCKTAIL BY ERIC VELLEND

3. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk, beat eggs, yolk and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and oil. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients and milk in two stages, just until combined— do not overmix! 4. Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and bake on centre rack until a toothpick inserted in centres comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around edges then removing and trans ferring to cooling rack. Cool completely. 5. For the buttercream, in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk, beat egg whites with 1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar and cream of tartar on high to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Stop machine. 6. Bring remaining 11/2 cups (375 mL) sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240°F (116°C), 5 to 7 minutes. Turn stand mixer on high and slowly stream hot sugar mixture into egg white mixture. Beat until mixture is fluffy and stiff and side of bowl is slightly warm to touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Place bowl in fridge until completely cool, 15 to 20 minutes. 7. Return bowl to mixer and turn on high speed. Add butter to egg white mixture, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until mixture is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla and salt. (If mixture curdles, keep beating on high until it smooths out, about 10 minutes. If cream is too soft to pipe, place in fridge to firm up slightly, up to 1 hour.) 8. Using a 3-inch (8-cm) round cutter or drink ing glass, cut a hole through middle of each cake to create a wreath shape. Remove cake centres and reserve for another use. 9. Place one cake on a serving platter or cake stand. Spoon buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star or large round tip of choice. Decoratively pipe half of buttercream onto cake. Place second cake overtop and continue piping remaining buttercream onto cake. (The iced, undecorated cake will keep covered and refrig erated for up to 2 days.) When ready to serve, top with decorations of choice.

A big cube studded with cranberries and a fragrant sprig of rosemary turns a glass of de-alcoholized sparkling wine into a festive mocktail. Instead of wine, you could use ginger ale, ginger beer or sparkling cranberry juice, and if you don’t have big enough coupes, use lowball glasses. 11/3 cups (330 mL) frozen cranberries 11/2 cups (375 mL) cranberry cocktail 1 bottle (750 mL) de-alcoholized sparkling wine, chilled 6 bushy rosemary sprigs, trimmed to fit glass 1. Divide cranberries evenly between moulds of a 2 × 3 silicone tray for making jumbo 2-inch (5-cm) ice cubes. Divide cranberry cocktail between moulds, so that it comes no higher than 1/3 inch (8 mm) from top. Freeze overnight. 2. To serve, place one cranberry cube in an 8- to 10-oz coupe. Pour about 4 oz of de alcoholized sparkling wine over cube. Garnish with rosemary and serve immediately. TATER TOT CUPS WITH SMOKED SALMON & CRÈME FRAÎCHE BY ERIC VELLEND The viral technique of turning tater tots into crispy potato cups is quite simple. Take a nonstick, metal, 24-cup mini-muffin pan and place three frozen tater tots in each mould—an 800-g bag will be enough. They won’t fit neatly, but it doesn’t matter. Bake in a 400°F (204°C) oven until the tater tots are hot, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the pan and place it on a dry kitchen towel on the counter. Using the back tip of a teaspoon, smush the tots into cup shapes to fill the moulds. To make an even better cavity, you can further smush them with the back of a melon baller, or your fingertip if they’re cool enough. Return to oven and bake until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and transfer cups from pan to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. They can sit at room tempera ture for up to 2 hours. When you’re ready to serve, pop them back into the oven just to warm them through, then fill each with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream. Roll a strip of smoked salmon into a little rose (or don’t) and place in cups. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately. Instead of smoked salmon, you could use salmon roe or lumpfish caviar. For a fully loaded version, use bacon bits and grated cheddar instead of salmon. Makes 6 drinks

WHIMSICAL YULE WREATH CAKE BY CHRISTINA FRANTZIS For a festive cake without the labour and stress of a yule log, meet your new go-to holiday dessert. A moist, fluffy vanilla cake and Italian meringue buttercream team up to provide the perfect canvas. Bring your wreath to life with round sweets and confections like macarons, holiday cookies, chocolate-coated cake pops and chocolate truffles. CAKE 23/4 cups (675 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 3 eggs 1 egg yolk 11/4 cups (310 mL) sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract 2/3 cup (150 mL) canola or sunflower oil 1 cup (250 mL) whole milk

BUTTERCREAM 6 egg whites 13/4 cups (425 mL) sugar, divided 1 tsp (5 mL) cream of tartar 3/4 cup (175 mL) water 1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened 1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla paste or extract 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Small confections of choice for decorating

1. For the cake, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease bottoms of two 9-inch (23-cm) cake pans and line with parchment. (Sides are left ungreased to help the cakes rise.)

2. Stir flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Serves 10 to 12

Makes 24 hors d’oeuvre

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HOLIDAY 2024 ————————