Recipes

On the third day of recipes, we suggest you get (or if you're luck - WIN) yourself a tin of Dutch Process Cocoa and some Marcona Almonds to make some...

Chocolate Almond Toffee

Its crunchy, salty and sweet but won’t stick to your teeth! This is very much a treat for the grownups! Don’t forget to enter our contest before 6:30 PM on December 6th.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 ½ cups salted butter, cut into chunks
• ¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, preferably *
• 1 cup Marcona almonds, roughly chopped *
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat, or oil it well with vegetable oil.
2. Pour the sugar into the center of a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Pour the water around the edge of the pan and wait to allow the water to moisten the sugar. Add the corn syrup and bring to a boil. Add the butter and boil until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F.
3. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa; then stir in the nuts.
4. Quickly pour the mixture onto the center of the prepared pan and let it spread out — it may not reach the sides of the pan.
5. Set aside to cool at room temperature until hard.
6. Using your hands pry the toffee out of the pan and break into large pieces. Store in an airtight container. The toffee will keep well for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

On the second day of recipes, we suggest you get yourself a box of Panettone & Whole Nutmeg to make some...

Panettone Egg Nog Bread Pudding Muffins

This makes a lovely addition to your brunch buffet but it is also sweet enough for a festive dessert. Don’t forget the whipped cream (and don't forget to enter our contest before December 4th at 11AM).

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of diced Panettone *
• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups your favourite egg nog
• ¼ cup rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract *
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg *
• Cooking spray
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Place water on to boil for a water bath. With a serrated knife, cut your favourite Panettone into ¾ inch dice and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. For the eggnog custard, in another bowl thoroughly whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, egg nog, rum, vanilla extract, and a healthy grating of fresh nutmeg. Pour this over the bread cubes.
4. Spray a 12 compartment muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. Ladle the bread/eggnog mixture gently and evenly into the muffin tins. Place the filled muffin tin in a tall sided cookie sheet or roasting pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and carefully pour the hot water from kettle onto sheet pan, creating a water bath for the muffin tin to sit in.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are nicely browned, and a toothpick comes clean from the center. Serve warm with vanilla scented whipped cream.

On the first day of recipes, we suggest you get yourself a box of Taylors of Harrogate Spiced Christmas Tea and some dark chocolate to make some...

Christmas Tea Chocolate Truffles

The infusion of the Christmas tea with the dark chocolate is sublime. These make a lovely hostess gift when they are nicely wrapped in a small cello bag or box.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb best quality dark chocolate *
• 500 ml whipping cream
• 100 g Dutch process cocoa powder *
• 4 Taylors Christmas Tea bags, broken open – bag discarded *
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Bring cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and stir in tea. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto chocolate, pressing on and discarding tea leaves, then whisk until smooth. Chill the chocolate ganache, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.
3. Spoon level teaspoons of ganache onto a baking sheet. Put cocoa in a bowl, then dust your palms lightly with it. Roll each piece of ganache into a ball (wash your hands and redust as they become sticky). Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa and turn to coat. Transfer as coated to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper.

Whether you spell it B'stilla, Bastilla or Pastilla - this Chicken and Almond pie is a delicious, traditional Moroccan dish that is agreed to be "intricate, grand, fabulously rich and fantastical".

B'stilla

Ingredients for Almond Sugar:

• 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted and cooled
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon*

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled*
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
• 2 teaspoons ras el hanout*
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper*
• 2 pounds chicken parts (about 1 whole breast, 2 thighs, and 2 legs)
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth*
• 3 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Ingredients for Finishing:

• 18 sheets (about 1 1/2 packages) phyllo (preferably Number 4 ultra-thin)*
• Confectioners' sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling*
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. To make the almond sugar:

• In a food processor grind fine almonds, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Almond sugar may be made 1 day ahead and kept covered in a cool dark place.
• In a small bowl combine saffron with hot water and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a heavy 4-quart kettle sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add ginger, ras el hanout, and pepper. Cook mixture, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add chicken parts, broth, and saffron mixture and simmer, covered, turning the chicken once, until chicken is very tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let chicken stand in cooking liquid off heat 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving cooking liquid and solids, and, when cool enough to handle, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Measure reserved cooking liquid and solids and if necessary boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 3/4 cups. Reduce heat to moderate and add eggs in a stream, whisking. Cook mixture, stirring, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes. Remove kettle from heat and pour egg mixture into a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Let mixture drain undisturbed 10 minutes before discarding liquid. Transfer egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in chicken, parsley, coriander, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and chill. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and butter 2 large shallow baking pans.
• In a small saucepan melt remaining 9 tablespoons butter and keep warm but not hot.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise and stack between 2 sheets wax paper. Cover wax paper sheets with a kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange a half sheet of phyllo with short side facing you and brush with melted butter. On this, layer and brush 3 more half sheets of phyllo in the same manner.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon almond sugar on short side of phyllo nearest you to cover about 2 1/2-by 4-inch area, leaving a 1-inch border on 3 edges. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture over almond sugar and spread out slightly. Top chicken mixture with 1 more tablespoon almond sugar and roll up filling in phyllo, folding in sides after first roll. Transfer b'stilla immediately.
• Form 8 more b'stillas in the same manner with remaining phyllo, butter, almond sugar, and chicken mixture, chilling each b'stilla as it is made. B'stillas may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and kept chilled, covered lightly with plastic wrap once cold.
• Bake chilled b'stillas in oven until tops and ends are puffed and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool b'stillas slightly on a rack. Sprinkle b'stillas with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon and serve warm.

This recipe is great for snacking during the holiday and just one more great way you can use our Moroccan spice blend!

Well Seasoned Sweet Spiced Roasted Nuts

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons Well Seasoned Moroccan spice blend*
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt*
• 1 cup cashews, unsalted
• 1 cup pecan halves, unsalted
• 1 cup pistachios, unsalted
• 1 cup walnut halves, unsalted
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg white until thick and frothy.
3. Add the sugar, spices and salt and stir to combine. Add the cashews, pecans, pistachios and walnuts and stir to coat with the egg white mixture.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts to two baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and crunchy, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
5. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Yummy and just in time for the fall.

Crab and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter 120 mL
• ¼ cup finely diced onion 60 mL
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic 15 mL
• ¼ cup finely diced celery 60 mL
• ¼ cup finely diced carrot 60 mL
• ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper 60 mL
• ¼ cup finely diced fennel bulb 60 mL
• ½ cup all-purpose flour 120 mL
• ¼ tsp ground cumin 1.2 mL
• ½ tsp ground coriander 2.5 mL
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1.2 mL
• 5 cups fish or chicken stock, or clam nectar
• 2 cups frozen corn 475 mL
• 2 cups crabmeat 475 mL
• ½ cup whipping cream 120 mL
• 1 tsp lemon juice 5 mL
• 2 Tbsp parsley 30 mL
• 1½ tsp sea salt 7.5 mL
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper, and fennel and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and add the flour, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the fish stock a third at a time. Once it comes to a boil add the corn, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the crabmeat, cream, lemon, parsley, and salt. Cook for 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.