proof whisky, the return of William, Vol. 55

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With the end of apple-picking season already here, we thought it only fair to feature one more apple drink this month. We used William Cider in the William Tell cocktail, strangely enough, at this exact time last year and it was a huge hit. The William Sour is definitely another one to try. Like’ us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proof-Brands/181641835185326 and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on tastings, parties & events.

the william sour 1 ½ oz proof whisky • 1 oz cinnamon simple syrup • 4 oz William Cider

To an ice-filled glass, add all ingredients. Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick or apple slice.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup: Combine equal parts of sugar and boiling water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a jar or bottle with a lid and drop in a cinnamon stick. Let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

William Premium Cider is certified organic and made in Quebec. It is the only single serve can of Canadian cider available at the LCBO. William Premium Cider is an English style cider with a light amber colour and a good balance of sweetness and acidity delivering a crisp clean taste, without any after taste. Made with all-natural ingredients, William has a low sugar level with fewer calories than beers and most mixers. This easy drinking and slightly carbonated cider is best when served cold. For information on where to get your very own William Cider glass, visit: www.williamcider.com

We had an awesome Thanksgiving Sunday thanks to the weather and thanks to our wonderful families. After sipping on make thymes, sage plums and the snacks to match on our forest walk, we went home and mixed up a pitcher of William Sours. 

Because a lot of our dishes were made with apples, we went into the town of Midland on Saturday to stock up on some cheeses – it's such a natural pairing. André, owner of Ciboulette et Cie (www.cibouletteetcie.ca) helped us in selecting the perfect cheese – he’s so good.

Although we came home with many types, the Mimolette, Salt Spring Chèvre and Blue Ermite alone, can definitely make a perfect cheese trio for any entertaining platter.

 

Mimolette Creamery, hard, cow's milk cheese produced in Flanders and Normandy. Basically, it is a matured Edam that is allowed to ripen for around six month to nine. The natural rind ranges in color from yellow orange to light brown and is pitted, dry and hard. Intensely fruity, it is popular as a cooking cheese and as a snack to eat with a glass of beer. When young (4 - 6 month), the cheese is firm compact and slightly oily with a subtle fruity aroma and a mellow nutty taste. Most of this cheese is, however, eaten when aged. The bright, deep tangerine color of the cheese is due to the natural dye, annatto. Mimolette is also known as Boule de Lille.

 

Salt Spring Basil Chèvre This flavoured soft cheese comes with basil layered on top of it. A splash of olive oil helps to infuse the flavour throughout the cheese. It  goes especially well on a cheese plate, not only because of its distinctive look, but also because basil is a mild flavour that almost everybody enjoys. If you are in doubt as to the preferences of your guests or hosts, you can do a lot worse than serving or bringing a soft, fresh basil flavoured goat’s milk cheese. (www.saltspringcheese.com)

Blue Ermite was the first cheese created in 1943 by the Benedictine Monks at the Fromagerie de L’Abbaye Saint-Benoît. It is a sharp, crumbly Canadian blue cheese – excellent for cooking, and salads. It comes wrapped in foil.

 

We also made a few batches of ‘light’ crisps to take on the walk. These are buttery little pieces of heaven let me tell you. We recommend you serve them to your guests (but tuck a couple away for yourself first – they go really fast!). They go extremely well with our featured cocktails and nicely with ice wines. Here are two great recipes, both from www.epicurious.com:

 

Herbed parmesan crisps 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together. On a baking sheet coated lightly with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper, place tablespoonfuls of the mixture with a couple inches between each, and spread them out into ovals about four inches long and two wide. (You should have about 12 crisps.) Bake in the oven until they turn golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. If not shaping them around a spoon handle, cool crisps flat on a metal rack.

Assorted Cheddar Crisps 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened • 3/4 lb sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (preferably in a food processor) • 1 large egg yolk • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon dried mustard • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds • 1 teaspoon nigella seeds

Blend together butter, cheese, and yolk in food processor until smooth. Add flour, dried mustard, and salt and pulse until just combined. Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper and divide into 3 portions (do not clean processor). Return 1 portion to processor, add pepper, and pulse until combined well, then transfer to another sheet of wax paper. Shape into a 7-inch-long log (1 1/2 inches thick), using paper as an aid, then roll up log in paper and twist ends of paper to close. Make 2 more logs on separate sheets of wax paper in same manner, using caraway seeds for second log and nigella seeds for third log (instead of pepper) and cleaning processor in between batches. Chill logs until firm, about 2 hours. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap 1 log and cut enough thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick) from it to fill baking sheet, arranging slices 1 inch apart. Bake until edges of crackers are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer on parchment to a rack and cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Make more crackers in batches with remaining dough. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Weekend Forecast:

Saturday: Cloudy with showers and a high of 12 degrees :(

Sunday: Cloudy with showers and a high of 14 degrees :(

proof rum, not just for stuffing turkeys, Vol. 54

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If you read our last year’s Thanksgiving blog (our first one ever), you would already know that we have a family tradition of taking a Thanksgiving forest walk before dinner. We pack a themed-appetizer and cocktail spread and head over to a wonderful trail near Georgian Bay where 11 small bridges span a gorgeous creek. www.simcoecountytrails.net/trails/lineartrails/maps/Penetanguishene.pdf. Last year our featured drink was the Peppery Apricot.  This year we are mixing two special drinks – one made with proof rum and one with proof whisky. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Like’ us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proof-Brands/181641835185326 and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on tastings, parties & events.

the make thyme (for this drink)(single) 1 oz proof rum • 1 sprig thyme • 1 ½ oz Ceres pear juice • ½ oz simple syrup • ½ oz lemon juice • splash soda

Add first 5 ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake hard and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with soda and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

 

the make more thyme (for this drink)(thermos) 6 oz proof rum • 6 sprig thyme • 9 oz Ceres pear juice • 3 oz simple syrup • 3 oz lemon juice • splash soda (6 oz)

Add first 5 ingredients to an ice-filled thermos. Shake hard and serve in cups. Top with soda and garnish with a sprig of thyme. If soda is inconvenient, drink will still be great without it.

the sage plum (single) 1 1/2 oz proof whisky • 1 sliced ripe plum • 4-5 sage leaves •  1 oz simple syrup • 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Muddle plum slices and sage leaves in the bottom of a shaker. Add proof whisky, simple syrup and lemon juice. Shake hard and strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sage leaf.

 

the sage plums (thermos) 9 oz proof whisky • 6 sliced ripe plums • 20 sage leaves •  6 oz simple syrup • 2 oz fresh lemon juice

Muddle plum slices and sage leaves in a bowl or in food processor. Add proof whisky, simple syrup and lemon juice. Shake and strain into ice filled thermos. Serve in cups and garnish with a sage leaf.

Here are the two very simple herb-recipes that we chose to make for our walk. The thyme in both the bread and cheese will really bring out the herbs in our drinks.

Herb and lemon goat cheese spread 5 oz (about 3/4 cup) soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel • 1 garlic clove, minced • 5 teaspoons olive oil • 16 French-bread baguette slices, toasted

Place goat cheese in small bowl. Mix thyme, lemon peel and garlic in another small bowl; season with ground black pepper. Mix half of thyme mixture into goat cheese. Add olive oil to remaining half of thyme mixture. Form cheese into 2 1/2-inch round; flatten slightly. Place in center of plate. Spoon oil-thyme mixture over top of cheese. Surround cheese with baguette slices and serve. (bon appétit, 1999)

 

Garlic herb bread twists 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary • 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2 oz), divided • 1/4 cup olive oil • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 2 pounds pizza dough (can use store-bought) • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Lightly oil 2 large (17- by 13-inch) baking sheets.  Stir together rosemary, thyme, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Stir together oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in another bowl. Divide dough in half. Keeping half of dough covered with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth), gently roll out other half into a 15-by 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. (Use your hands to pull corners. If dough is very elastic, cover with towel and let rest about 3 minutes.) Sprinkle one half of dough (crosswise) with half of herb mixture, then fold dough in half crosswise and roll lightly to form a roughly 10- by 8-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 9 strips (less than 1 inch wide) with a pizza wheel or a sharp heavy knife. Keeping remaining strips covered with a kitchen towel, twist each strip from both ends and place on baking sheet, arranging twists 1 inch apart. Brush with 1 tablespoon garlic oil and let stand while forming remaining bread twists. Roll out and form more bread twists with remaining dough and herb mixture, then arrange on other sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon garlic oil and let stand 5 minutes. Bake bread twists, switching position of sheets halfway through, until golden, 20 to 25 minutes total. Meanwhile, stir together parsley and remaining 3/4 cup cheese in a shallow baking pan. Immediately after baking, brush bread twists with remaining garlic oil, then roll in parsley and cheese until coated. Serve warm or at room temperature. (gourmet, 2009)

 

Happy Thanksgiving from proof!

Thanksgiving Weekend Forecast:

Saturday: Sunny and a high of 25 degrees

Sunday: Sunny and a high of 24 degrees

Monday: Sunny and a high of 22 degrees