This holiday season, we’ve included a few recipes that are nice treats for friends when they come from your kitchen. And a few recipes that are great for you— a sure-hit appetizer and a cold soup of the season that’s easy to prepare ahead for simple entertaining.
And find additional recipes from our Featured Chef.
Westford Hill Distillers’ Raspberry Almond Shortcake Bars
½ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
3 Tablespoons Westford Hill Distillers’ Framboise eau-de-vie
¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds
¾ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
Westford Hill Distiller’s Framboise eau-de-vie
Milk
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, brown sugar, almond or vanilla extract together in bowl. Add four to mixture until blended. Press dough into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix together Westford Hill Distillers’ Framboise eau-de-vie and spread mixture evenly over crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped almonds over top and return to oven. Bake for an additional 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with white chocolate chips. Return to oven for about 5 minutes, you just want to heat the chips, not brown them. Remove from oven and cool. While cooling, prepare glaze. Mix powdered sugar and about a tablespoon of Westford Hill Distillers’ Framboise eau-de-vie and add drops of milk until a smooth consistency. Drizzle over the top of the bars. Cut when the bars have cooled completely.
Chocolate-Almond Lover’s Fudge with Kirsch eau-de vie
1/2 cup dark Morello cherries (If cherries are preserved in liquid, drain off liquid before use)
2 4-oz. packages of high quality semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
2 4-oz. packages of high quality bittersweet chocolate baking bar
1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of Westford Hill Distillers Kirsch eau-de-vie
½ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons of almonds reserved for use as topping
high quality ground chocolate for sprinkling
Drizzle two Tbsp. Kirsch eau-de-vie over Morello cherries and let stand over night in refrigerator.
Microwave chocolate and milk in a glass bowl on med.-high for 2 minutes (careful not to scorch chocolate). Stir until chocolate is melted and mixed well with milk. Add remaining Kirsch liqueur and vanilla. Stir well. Incorporate ½ cup almonds and cherries. Spread into a foil lined 8-inch pan. Sprinkle with topping almonds. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with high quality ground chocolate. Cut into 1-inch squares and enjoy! Makes about 2 pounds or 16 servings.
Recipe created by Ulla Britt Roemer of Pomfret Center, CT
Cherry Blue Cheese Spread
¾ cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
1 cup boiling water
4 Tablespoons Westford Hill Distillers’ Kirsch eau-de-vie
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
6 oz. crumbled blue cheese
Thick slice of red onion
1 clove garlic
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup toasted walnuts
Pour boiling water over dried berries, let sit 1 -2 minutes and then drain the water. Add Westford Hill Distillers’ Kirsch eau-de-vie to berries and set aside.
In a food processer – process onion and garlic, add cream cheese and blue cheese, mix until combined. Transfer to bowl and stir in cherries, green onions and toasted walnuts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with crackers or toasted pita triangles and apple slices
Pear and Parsnip Vichyssoise
(Yield: 6 cups)
1 Tablespoon butter
2 large leeks, white part only, diced and washed well
1 pound parsnips, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
2 cups chicken stock
2 large, very ripe pears, peeled and cored
1 cup light cream
½ to 1 cup 1% milk
8-10 drops Tabasco to taste
1 teaspoon salt to taste
6 Tablespoons Westford Hill Distillers Pear William
In a medium saucepan sauté the leeks in the butter over medium heat for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the parsnips and chicken stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the parsnips are very soft. In a blender puree mixture and the pears with 1 cup light cream. Thin with ½ cup milk, or more to desired consistency. Chill, and then taste for seasonings adding salt, Tabasco and the Pear William. Serve well-chilled.
Recipe developed and copywritten by Prudence Sloane, 1999, and can be used for promotion of Westford Hill Distillers with recipes credited to Prudence Sloane. www.prudencesloane.com
