Chocolate Hazelnut Mille Feuille
Fererro Rocher chocolates have long been associated with the holidays. A mix of hazelnut and milk chocolate make them insanely irresistible. For this dessert, we have paired them with a similar flavour profile – Nutella buttercream! Add some beautiful puff pastry for a light but decadent showstopper of a dessert. Try pairing this recipe with Spicebox Chocolate Whisky and Carolans Irish Cream.Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups (1 L) icing sugar
¾ cup (180 ml) Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
⅓ cup + ¾ cup (260 ml) whipping cream, divided
1 egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) milk
1 sheet puff pastry (about 12 × 15‑in/30 × 38 cm), thawed
6 Ferrero Rocher chocolates
8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup (125 ml) chopped roasted, unsalted hazelnuts
Instructions
- In a large metal bowl and using a handheld mixer, mix butter until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add icing sugar 1 cup (250 ml) at a time until entirely incorporated. Mixture may be a bit dry, but that’s okay. Add Nutella, vanilla, salt and ⅓ cup (80 ml) whipping cream. Continue to mix until buttercream is a light colour and has no lumps. Place into a large piping bag and set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg and milk.
- Lay puff pastry onto a cutting board and cut into 3 equal rectangles about 5-in/12.5 cm wide. Using a pastry brush, brush top of pastry with a light layer of egg mixture.
- Place pastry onto a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (If pastries have puffed up unevenly, gently press down on them while still warm so they are more even.)
- Place 1 rectangle of pastry onto a flat serving plate. Pipe little dollops of Nutella buttercream around outside of pastry. Place 2 dollops in centre as well (this will help pastry from caving in with weight). Place a second layer of pastry on top and repeat previous step. Place final layer of pastry on top and decorate top with remaining buttercream. Place a chocolate on all four corners of cake as well as 2 in centre.
- Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat remaining ¾ cup (180 ml) cream until just about to simmer. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to combine; it should be a smooth chocolate ganache. Drizzle desired amount of chocolate overtop cake and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
- To serve, use a serrated bread knife to cut into 1- to 2-in (2.5 to 5 cm) slices. Serve at room temperature (do not refrigerate).
Drink Pairings
Maple Pancake
Imagine that your dreamy brunch pancakes were topped with whipped cream and maple syrup while you sipped on a delicious coffee. The following cocktail conveniently combines all these favourite flavours in the form of Canadian Whisky, Cabot Maple Cream Liqueur and espresso for a tasty flavour experience.Ingredients
Serves 1
2 oz (60 ml) Cabot Trail Maple Cream
¾ oz (22 ml) Canadian Club Classic 12-Year-Old Whisky
½ oz (15 ml) espresso
whipped cream, maple syrup and coffee beans, for garnish
dollar pancake, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass in freezer for 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine Maple Cream, whisky and espresso. Shake vigorously and fine strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup and 3 coffee beans. Optionally, also garnish with a dollar pancake.
Featuring
PB&J
When Carolan’s Peanut Butter Liqueur hit the market, it wasn’t long before a relationship blossomed with jelly. Now, the affair with jelly really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, it’s a classic flavour combination that cannot be denied. Raspberry is used in the following recipe, but you could easily substitute another favourite jelly flavour to personalize the experience. Try serving it with a slice of toast, reminiscent of nostalgic flavours.Ingredients
Serves 1
1 tbsp (15 ml) raspberry jam, plus extra to rim glass
½ cup (125 ml) chocolate-covered peanuts, finely chopped, to rim glass
¾ oz (22 ml) Carolans Peanut Butter Irish Cream
¾ oz (22 ml) Jameson Irish Whiskey
Instructions
- To prepare cocktail glass, spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on a small plate and an even layer of chocolate-covered peanuts on a second plate. Moisten rim of an old-fashioned glass with raspberry jam, then dip rim into chocolate-peanut mixture. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine Irish cream, Irish whiskey and 1 tbsp (15 ml) raspberry jam. Shake vigorously and fine strain over cubed ice into prepared glass.
Featuring
Milk Chocolate
Forty Creek masterfully crafts cream liqueurs to compliment the Canadian Whisky they use as a distinct base spirit. This cocktail is a delightful and indulgent reminder how well chocolate and dairy work so well with each other. This recipe is not only delicious with the Forty Creek “Original Cream” but is equally amazing with their “Butter Tart” or “Nanaimo Bar” options.Ingredients
Serves 1
2 oz (60 ml) Forty Creek Original Cream Liqueur
1 oz (30 ml) McGuinness Crème de Cacao
shaved chocolate, for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Nick & Nora glass in freezer for 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine Forty Creek and crème de cacao. Shake vigorously and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
Featuring
Dark Chocolate Chilli Armagnac Manhattan
You can’t go wrong with chocolate, especially in this spicy Manhattan-inspired drink. Using the fat-washing technique, this cocktail is sure to delight you.Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Dark Chocolate-Washed Armagnac*
1 oz (30 ml) Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximénez Sherry
3 to 5 drops chocolate bitters
1 strawberry slice, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Stir ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Strain into a coupe and garnish with strawberry slice.
- *To make Dark Chocolate-Washed Armagnac, melt ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter and 1 cup (250 ml) dark chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix in about ½ tsp (2.5 ml) seeded and chopped Thai (bird’s eye) chili or another red hot pepper or 1 tsp (5 ml) cayenne. Add 450 ml Saint Vivant VSOP Armagnac and stir to blend well. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-safe container, stirring every so often to make sure the flavour and fat get well integrated. Once mixture is cool, place in freezer to allow solids to harden, then strain through a coffee filter until desired clarity is reached. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
Featuring
Turning Head
The Exorcist follows the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s attempt to save her through an exorcism performed by a pair of Catholic priests. Inspired by the supernatural nature of the film, this cocktail pairs the earthy character of tequila with fresh citrus that gives hope, while the extreme complexity of Chartreuse Green, whose secret formula is carefully guarded by two Carthusian monks, takes on an assertive role.Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Cazadores Blanco Tequila
½ oz (15 ml) Chartreuse Green
½ oz (15 ml) lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup*
2 dashes grapefruit bitters
1 lime twist, for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Nick and Nora glass or coupe glass in the freezer for 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine tequila, Chartreuse, lime juice, Simple Syrup and bitters. Shake vigorously, then fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with lime twist.
- *1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.
Featuring
Redrum 237
In the classic film with chilling ambiance and the iconic line “Redrum,” Jack Torrance strives to be a good person and to overcome his spicy history, represented by the rich and complex flavours of spiced rum, but he is haunted by the bitter demons of his past, characterized by the Campari, and the eerie atmosphere of the Overlook Hotel.Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum
1½ oz (45 ml) Campari
1 orange peel, for garnish
Instructions
- Chill an old-fashioned glass in the freezer for 5 minutes. In a mixing glass with cubed ice, combine spiced rum and Campari. Stir to chill and dilute, then strain into chilled old-fashioned glass over cubed ice. Express orange peel over the surface to garnish.
Featuring
Queen Elizabeth
Mid 1930s the Benedictine liqueur brand held a cocktail contest and the “Queen Elizabeth” was the winning entry by bartender Herbert L. Quick, naming the cocktail not after the monarch but his wife Elizabeth. This complex, herbaceous cocktail is perfectly balanced between tart and sweet, certainly worthy of flavour admiration and only 15% abv.Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth
½ oz (15 ml) Bénédictine B&B
½ oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice
1 lime twist, for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass in freezer for 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine dry vermouth, B&B and lime juice. Shake vigorously, then fine strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lime twist.
Featuring
Butter-Washed Blackberry Tea
A take on the classic Blueberry Tea cocktail. Disaronno Originale Amaretto, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge and Marquis De Villard VSOP Brandy come together. The use of the fat-washing technique gives this cocktail a richer texture and a silky mouthfeel. A must try!Ingredients
Serves 1
granulated sugar, to rim glass
1 English breakfast tea bag
2 blackberries
2 oz (60 ml) Butter-Wash Blend*
1 orange slice, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a snifter glass with hot water and rim with sugar. Steep a cup of English breakfast tea with 2 blackberries. Add Butter-Wash Blend to snifter glass and top with steeped hot tea. Garnish with orange slice.
- *To make Butter-Wash Blend, melt ⅔ cup (160 ml) unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add peels from 2 large oranges and sauté lightly to extract oils. Slowly add 1 cup (250 ml) each Disaronno Originale Amaretto, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge and Marquis De Villard VSOP Brandy and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-safe container. Allow to stew at least 2 hours. Once cooled to room temperature, place in freezer to allow solids to harden, then strain through a coffee filter until desired clarity is reached. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes enough for about 12 cocktails.
Featuring
Averna Collins
Averna Amaro Siciliano is an Italian bitter liqueur (29% ABV) with hints of orange and licorice and notes of myrtle, juniper, rosemary and sage, among other botanicals. Combining these rich and bittersweet flavours with soda, lemon and simple syrup results in a delightfully fresh yet savoury Collins, topping out at 7 percent ABV.Ingredients
Serves 1
2 oz (60 ml) Averna Amaro Siciliano
1 oz (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup*
2 oz (60 ml) soda water
1 lemon wheel, for garnish
1 sprig of thyme, rosemary or sage, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine Averna, lemon juice and Simple Syrup. Shake, then strain into a Collins glass. Top with soda water and fill with cubed ice. Garnish with lemon wheel and thyme, rosemary or sage.
- *1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in boiling water. Allow to cool before using.