#NationalCookieExchange – Treats packed with sugar and spice and everything nice will be on the minds of Canadians looking to thank friends, neighbours or a special someone who helped them make it through the challenges of the pandemic. For many, cookies and cocktails are among the most popular holiday gifts to show appreciation. Everyone is looking forward to ushering in and celebrating the holidays and toasting to the new year. And let’s be honest, with the year we’ve had, everyone, jolly fellow included, deserves more than plain milk and cookies…
When is #NationalCookieExchange day?
While cookie exchanges are an annual tradition for many, South African cream-based liqueur, Amarula, is hoping to take the joy of sharing our favourite recipes much further this year. Just in time to celebrate #NationalCookieExchange Day on December 22nd, the brand, along with 16 of the country’s top mixologists and bakers, are kick-starting what they hope will become Canada’s largest virtual cookie exchange which will ensure no matter what, we can still come together over the holidays and pay it forward. The Ontario experts include: Jeremy J Parsons (Culinary drinks/ Cocktails Mobile), RebeccaJ (Aka Miss RebeccaJ), Rodney Alleguede (Gouter by RA), Eleni Bock (Ration Food Bar), Nadege Nourian (Nadege), Marlene Thorne (Famous Last Words). Amarula’s #NationalCookieExchange invites Canadians to share their family cookie recipes, and for each recipe shared Amarula will make a $5 donation* to Feed Ontario, Food Banks BC and Food Banks of Quebec. To provide inspiration, these experts have created cookie and cocktail pairings featuring Amarula to start the virtual chain and provide Santa with a little holiday cheer. These recipes are available for download on the campaign website.
“Many holiday cookie recipes come with a special story. Baking them for someone is often one of the most time-honoured holiday traditions and heartfelt expressions of gratitude,” says Jamie Rendell, Brand Manager at PMA Canada, the distributor of Amarula in Canada. “Something as simple as sharing our cookie and Amarula recipes has the power to bring us all together. Not only will these recipes find new life in kitchens across the country but sharing them will allow us to do something great and pay it forward for Canadians facing food insecurity.”
From December 8 through to the date after the National Cookie Exchange Day on December 23, Canadians can share their recipes be they nut-free, vegan or richly indulgent, for all to enjoy on the Amarula Canada Facebook page or on their personal lnstagram page using the #NationalCookieExchange hashtag. For each recipe shared, Amarula will donate $5 to Food Banks of Quebec, Food Banks BC, and Feed Ontario. For more details on how to participate, Canadians can visit
AMARULA BISCOTTI RECIPE
By: Rodney Alleguede Gouterby RA Instagram
By: Rodney Alleguede Gouterby RA lnstagram
Yield: 16-24 biscotti
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cup (50 g) dried apricots
- 1/3 cup (50 g) pitted dates
- 1 cup (140 g) almonds
- 6 Tbsp. (go g) Amarula Cream Liqueur
- 1 2/3 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup+ 3 Tbsp. (70 g) line almond powder
- 2 tsp. (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp. (5.7 g) salt
- 1/3 cup (85 g) room temperature butter
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
PREPARATION:
1. Chop the apricots, dates and almonds. Mix and soak in the Amarula. Leave to rest for at least one hour.
2. In a bowl mix the flour, almond powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside.
- In a bowl mix the butter and sugar using a spatula until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time making sure they’re well incorporated. Keep mixing until fluffy. Incorporate the flour-almond powder-baking powder-salt mixture one
- tablespoon at a time. Once evenly combined add the soaked almonds, apricots, dates and Amarula.
- Flour a work surface, pour the biscotti mix on the table, shaping it like a log (3″ wide).
- Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight wrapped in saran wrap.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 325°F, then bake for 20 minutes (or until it starts to brown lightly).
- Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
g. With a bread knife cut the log in slices of roughly 2 cm in width.
PUT YOUR BEST FRUIT FORWARD
lnstagram: @elenii18 Instagram: @ration.food.lab
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cup (50 g) dried apricots
- 1/3 cup (50 g) pitted dates
- 1 cup (140 g) almonds
- 6 Tbsp. (go g) Amarula Cream Liqueur
- 1 2/3 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup+ 3 Tbsp. (70 g) line almond powder
- 2 tsp. (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp. (5.7 g) salt
- 1/3 cup (85 g) room temperature butter
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
PREPARATION:
1. Chop the apricots, dates and almonds. Mix and soak in the Amarula. Leave to rest for at least one hour.
2. In a bowl mix the flour, almond powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside.
- In a bowl mix the butter and sugar using a spatula until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time making sure they’re well incorporated. Keep mixing until fluffy. Incorporate the flour-almond powder-baking powder-salt mixture one
tablespoon at a time. Once evenly combined add the soaked almonds, apricots, dates and Amarula.
- Flour a work surface, pour the biscotti mix on the table, shaping it like a log (3″ wide).
- Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight wrapped in saran wrap.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 325°F, then bake for 20 minutes (or until it starts to brown lightly).
- Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
g. With a bread knife cut the log in slices of roughly 2 cm in width.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 oz. Amarula Cream Li9ueur
- 3 oz. coffee, cooled
- 1 oz. chocolate milk
- 5 raspberries
- Green and red sugar, to taste, for garnish
PREPARATION:
1. In a shaker halllull of ice combine all ingredients. Shake until raspberries are pulverized and frothy. Strain over top of fresh ice. Enjoy!
NOTE:
This cocktail can be enjoyed as a shooter or a cocktail!
Yield: 1 cocktail
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 oz. Amarula Cream Li9ueur
- 1 oz. pisco
- 0.5 oz. orange oleo saccharum*
- A few drops, Islay scotch (optional)
- Crushed ice
- Dusted ground nutmeg, sugar and Allspice Berry Bouquet mixture, for garnish
- Dehydrated orange slice, for garnish
PREPARATION:
1. Mix Amarula Cream Li9ueur, pisco, orange oleo saccharum and scotch. Pour over crushed ice.
2. Top with more crushed ice and dust the nutmeg sugar over top. Garnish with orange slice and allspice.
Prefer your cocktails really shaken? Simply put everything in a blender and mix! This cocktail can be enjoyed warm or cold.
*NOTE FROM ELENI BOCK:
Oleo Saccharum (which translates to “oil sugar”) is a syrup made from the rinds of citrus and sugar. It is a great way to minimize food waste and can be made with any citrus rind. To make, simply blitz rinds, sugar and a touch of water. My orange oleo saccharum tastes exactly like orange marmalade. Don’t feel like making it (or in a rush to taste this fab creation)? Simply use Smucker’s Pure Orange Marmalade as an alternative! Just heat the marmalade to soften it before putting it in your cocktail.
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