Spiced Plum Martini
Serve this sweet and spicy cocktail to guests with an orange and cinnamon garnish before holiday meals, or enjoy a sneaky one to yourself while you wrap presents. Make it with either store-bought plum gin or vodka, or try infusing your own vodka with beautiful summer plums.
Makes 2 martinis
Ingredients for the martini
- 3 oz plum gin/vodka
- 1 oz peach schnapps
- 2 oz orange juice
- Squeeze of fresh lemon
- 3 tbsp. of spiced simple syrup
- Garnish: slice of orange, cinnamon stick
To make the martini:
1. Add all ingredients to a shaker (if you don’t have one, you can use a large glass and invert a small glass into it to mix like a shaker).
2. Add 4-5 ice cubes.
3. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
4. Pour into two martini glasses.
5. Serve with garnish.
For homemade plum gin/vodka
- 8 mason jars
- 20-25 dark, in-season plums (check to make sure they smell sweet)
- 2-4 cups white sugar (depending on your sweetness preference)
- Plain gin or vodka
For the spiced simple syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp. chili flake
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. cardamom
To make homemade infused vodka:
- Remove stickers, wash, and halve plums.
- Fill all the mason jars with the plum halves, packing them quite tightly.
- Add ¼ to ½ cup sugar to each jar.
- Fill the jars with the gin/vodka.
- Replace the lids tightly, shake vigorously.
- Leave in a cool, dark place for at least 3 months, preferably 4 to fully infuse the flavour. Shake the jars every few weeks.
- Strain the plums from the liquor, allowing them to drain over a bowl for at least an hour (the plums will have absorbed some of the alcohol).
- Bottle/jar the infused alcohol. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
To make the simple syrup:
- Boil the water with the spices in a small pot.
- Add the sugar and stir until dissolved and water returns to a boil.
- Continue to stir for another 30 seconds.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool.
- Strain the chili flake from the syrup.
- Store in the fridge.
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Holiday Stuffing Bites with Spicy Cranberry Dip
A great use for leftover stuffing, these rich, crispy bites should be made right before your guests arrive so they’re still hot. To make prep easier, they can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen until a holiday get-together (just thaw them to room temperature if they’re frozen). For a more playful appetizer, make the balls half the size, reduce cooking time, and serve them on toothpicks.
Ingredients for the stuffing bites
- 1 cup stuffing
- 2 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp. vegetable oil (avoid olive oil)
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup apple, finely diced
- 3 eggs
- Pinch of chili flake
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ tsp. dried basil
- 1/8 tsp. dried oregano or sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the dip
- ¼ cup cranberry sauce (smooth cranberry sauce is better. If you have chunky sauce, purée it)
- 1 tbsp. orange juice
- ¼ orange zest
- 2 tbsp. cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. hot sauce (or more/less to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
To make dip:
- Soften the cream cheese over low heat on the stove or in the microwave in a medium bowl.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in with the cream cheese.
- Refrigerate.
To make the stuffing bites:
- Fry the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces. Set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté onions in 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until beginning to caramelize. Add apples to the pan, season with salt and pepper and chili flake, and cook until apples are slightly softened.
- In a large bowl, mix stuffing, sausage, and onion and apple mixture. If you want to taste spice/seasoning level, do this now (for more spice, add more chili flake).
- Add one egg and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes.
- Create a breading station with three small bowls. In the first, put the flour, dried spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper. In the second, gently beat two eggs. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
- Make 1-inch balls with the stuffing mixture, wetting your hands slightly to prevent sticking. The mixture should make about 12-15 bites.
- Roll each ball first in the seasoned flour, then coat with egg, then coat with panko. On a plate, put the balls in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the breading.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat half the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Test the heat with a sprinkle of panko – the breading should immediately sizzle when the oil is hot enough. Be careful not to burn the oil. Fry half of the bites at a time, turning them after each side turns a dark golden-brown (you’ll need to be quite attentive, they cook quickly). Drain on paper towel. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and waiting for it to get back to temperature before frying the other half of the bites.
- Transfer bites to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes to cook the bites through to the centre.
- Serve immediately with cranberry dip.
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Sweet Potato Latkes with Herbed Sour Cream
A modern twist on a Hanukkah classic, these crispy sweet potato pancakes are good as a side dish or as an appetizer. The mustard adds a good kick to the richness of the potato and, if you’re feeling adventurous, try adding a small handful of sultanas or a good pinch of cayenne pepper to the mix before frying.
Makes 4 medium-sized latkes (or 6 small latkes)
For the herbed sour cream
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley (or chives)
- Squeeze of lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
For the latkes
- 1 medium sweet potato, grated
- ¼ red onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. white flour
- 1 tbsp. + 6 tbsp. vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
To make the dip:
- Combine all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate to let the flavours meld
To make the latkes:
- Sauté the onions over medium heat in 1 tbsp. oil until just past translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the onion and garlic to the grated sweet potato.
- Gently whisk egg in another bowl and add to the sweet potato.
- Add mustard, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
- Heat half the remaining oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Splitting the sweet potato mix into four even portions in the bowl, add two portions to the frying pan when hot. Spread the mix well so the pancakes are only a centimeter thick.
- Flip carefully when the bottom is a dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Check the bottom after another 3-4 minutes of frying.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly on a rack lined with paper towel.
- Repeat steps 6-8 with the other two portions of sweet potato mixture.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of herbed sour cream.
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Gluten-free Pepermint Brownies
Be a crowd-pleaser this holiday season with high-protein, decadent, delicious peppermint brownies made without flour or gluten. Black beans give this dessert richness, and the mint flavour hammers home the holiday spirit. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces or drizzle with white chocolate (or do both) to add some wow-factor.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup good quality cocoa powder
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. brewed/instant coffee
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. mint extract
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- Optional: 4-5 candy canes crushed, ½ cup white chocolate chips, melted
- Large handful of chocolate chips
How to make the brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Pour into a buttered square pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean
- Remove from oven and allow them to cool.
- Drizzle with melted white chocolate and/or sprinkle with crushed candy cane if you would like. Cut into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.