Design and Trends 2019 1_Digital_Design_Color_Trends_2019 | Page 80

ANNA OLSON
Chewy, chocolaty and nutty, these decadent
bars are a take on Millionaire Bars, which
have a shortbread base, a dense caramel
centre and a chocolate topping.
BASE INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
1/2 cup
cocoa powder
1/2 cup
whole hazelnuts,

toasted and peeled
2/3 cup
icing sugar
1 cup
cold unsalted butter, cut

into pieces
FILLING INGREDIENTS
1 tin
sweetened condensed

milk
3/4 cup
packed light brown

sugar
3/4 cup
unsalted butter
1/2 cup
whipping cream
1/2 cup
golden corn syrup
1 tsp
vanilla extract
1/2 tsp
salt
Recipe from Set for the Holidays: Recipes to Bring Comfort and Joy,
Anna Olson, Appetite for Random House, 2018.
TIP Store baked bars in an airtight container
at room temperature for 10 days or in the
fridge for up to 3 weeks. Do not freeze them
because the caramel layer will liquefy when
the bars thaw, making them very soft and
messy.
TOPPING INGREDIENTS
6 oz
bittersweet couverture/

baking chocolate,

chopped
3 Tbsp.
unsalted butter
1/3 cup
chopped toasted

hazelnuts
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Lightly
grease a 9 × 13 inch (3 L) pan and line it with
MAKE YOUR HORS D’OEUVRES SPARKLE
The holiday entertaining season is here and
if you’re having guests over for drinks and
a little visit, or hosting a full-on open house
for the neighborhood, hors d’oeuvres are a
popular option and offer everyone a little
bite to eat. Here are a few guiding tips to
help make planning and serving your hors
d’oeuvres easy and showy at the same time.
PREP YOUR GARNISHES AND PICK
YOUR PLATES Hors d’oeuvres can be
fussy because they are individual morsels, so
to use your time most effectively, chop your
chives and parsley, preslice your lemons
and all of those little things ahead of time
and store them labeled for what they are to
be used for, just in case you have to ask for
help. Also, pick out your platters for your
hors d’oeuvres ahead of time and put a note
on each plate or dish so that you know you
have enough. For the super-organized, try
arranging them on the table so you know
they will all fit and look balanced.
THINK OUTSIDE THE SKILLET Not
enough plates or platters for your hors
d’oeuvres, dips or other goodies? A nice
cast iron skillet can be used to sear shrimp or
scallops perfectly, but it can also be a great
vessel for crudité and dip, or to present
crackers or breads.
SOUP FOR A FEW OR A CROWD Big
hearty bowls of soup or chili are perfect to
end a skating party or afternoon of shinny,
but tiny soup sippers offer an elegant hors
d’oeuvre sized portion to warm up your
guests. Individual glasses can be sipped from
parchment paper so that the paper comes up
the sides of the pan.
BASE DIRECTIONS
For the base, place the flour, cocoa powder,
hazelnuts and sugar into the bowl of a food
processor and pulse until the nuts are finely
ground. Add the butter and pulse until the
mixture is rough and crumbly, but it does not
need to come together. Press firmly into the
prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. While
the base is cooling on a wire rack, prepare the
filling.
FILLING DIRECTIONS
For the filling, bring the condensed milk, brown
sugar, butter, cream and corn syrup to a boil
in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring
constantly with a spatula. Once the mixture
reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and
continue stirring until it reaches 228 °F (109 °C)
on a candy thermometer, about 9 minutes from
when it starts to boil. Remove the pan from the
heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour over
the base and let cool to room temperature,
about 2 hours.
TOPPING DIRECTIONS
For the topping, place the chocolate and butter
in a metal bowl set over a pot filled with an
inch (2.5 cm) of barely simmering water, stirring
until melted and smooth. Pour over the cooled
caramel and spread or swirl the pan so that the
caramel is coated evenly. Sprinkle the chopped
hazelnuts over the chocolate and chill until
set, about 2 hours. To serve, slice the chilled
bars into individual squares. - Food Network Canada
Celebrity Chef Anna Olson
directly if making a smooth soup, or place
a mini spoon in each glass for a heartier
version.
DON’T FORGET DESSERT After your
guests are done with cheese, veggies and
other savory lovelies, they might want a little
something sweet and small hors d’oeuvres
sized desserts are perfect. A simple recipe
for chocolate mousse looks fantastic in mini
dessert glasses, especially when topped
with a little Christmas shortbread. Even finely
diced fruit takes on a new appeal when
presented in small glasses.
Enjoy the process of planning your next
hors d’oeuvre party and with these planning
and plating tips, you can now relax and be
a guest at your own party. - Food Network Canada
Celebrity Chef Anna Olson