Food Lovers Unite — ‘tis the season to enjoy great eats with those you love!
From entertaining at home to visiting family and friends, there are always millions of things to prepare for the holiday season. Make it easier on yourself by making a festive centrepiece that can double as an appetizer or dessert.
I developed this easy-to-prepare showstopper with products that are all available at my local Loblaws store. The different components can be prepared in advance, and assembly can take as little as ten minutes, so you can spend more time with your loved ones and less slaving away in the kitchen.
Bon appétit and happy holidays!
Festive Brie Tiered “Cake”
Ingredients
- Two wheels of brie, with different diameters for stacking
(I used PC’s Cendre des Anges Triple Cream Brie Cheese with Ash for the top tier and Agropur’s L’estra Brie Triple Crème for the bottom tier) - Poached figs and the syrup they were stored in
- Candied rosemary
- Rosemary syrup
- Dried orange slices
- Roasted hazelnuts
- Bee pollen or festive sprinkles
Instructions
- Arrange cheeses on a serving platter or cake dish, with smaller cheese wheel on top of larger one.
- Start with orange slices. Using a knife, slice a small, shallow slit into cheese and place orange slice in it.
- Halve several poached figs and place on cheese.
- Drizzle both the poached fig and rosemary syrups on the cheeses. Be sure to do this before adding candied rosemary, as the syrups will remove sugar coating.
- Break candied rosemary into desired sizes (be sure to keep some stem on them) and arrange on cheese. Ideally, there will be some stem segments so that you can press into cheeses for easier assembly.
- Dip hazelnuts into rosemary syrup and place on cake.
- Sprinkle on bee pollen.
- Serve with thinly sliced crusty bread or Christmas cake. Enjoy!
Poached Figs
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 drops vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove
- 2 pieces star anise
- 2 pieces of orange peel
- 12 figs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan or pot, add all ingredients, except for figs, on medium-high. Cook until sugar dissolves.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add figs. Let simmer until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes, turning them every few minutes to ensure that each side is poached evenly.
- Transfer figs to a clean, sterilized jar. Continue simmering the remaining liquid on medium-low heat until it reduces and thickens to a syrup consistency, about 20 more minutes.
- Pour syrup (and spices) in jar over figs. Let cool and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Candied Rosemary and Rosemary Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 package of fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1-3 sprigs of sage
- 1-3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar, divided
Instructions
- In a small saucepan or pot, add water and half of sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves. Place remaining sugar in a bowl.
- Dip sprigs of herbs into hot water, one at a time. Let steep for up to a minute each.
- Dip each sprig into dry sugar. Set aside to dry.
- Pour infused syrup into a clean jar. Cool down and store in refrigerator.
Dried Orange Slices
Ingredients
- Oranges or other citrus, sliced very thinly
- Superfine sugar or maple sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F, with racks arranged on top and bottom of oven.
- Arrange orange slices on 1-2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake, periodically rotating the baking sheets, until the slices are dry, up to 3 hours. Keep oven door slightly open to disperse humidity. Watch closely during the last hour to prevent burning.
- Take out of oven and let cool. Store in a clean jar, in a cool dark place.
Roasted Hazelnuts
Ingredients
- Hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Shell hazelnuts with nut/seafood crackers. Place shelled nuts on baking pan, in a single layer.
- Toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until skins look shiny.
- Take out of over and wrap nuts in a kitchen towel or clean rag. Let steam for 1 minute.
- Rub nuts to remove loose skins (don’t have to remove all skin). Let cool and store in a cool dark place, preferably in a glass jar or container.
