With wine, beer and spirit pairings by Dré Dee.

Cinnamon LAMB SHANK TAJINE WITH PRUNES, CINNAMON AND SESAME SEEDS

In this classic Moroccan dish, lamb is braised to maximum succulence with plump prunes in a broth spiced with cinnamon, ginger and saffron. Serve it with plain steamed couscous to soak up the rich sauce. To toast sesame seeds, cook them in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

4 lamb shanks, 10 to 12 oz (285 to 340 g) each Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon

1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger

Large pinch saffron soaked in 1/4 cup (60 mL) hot water

3 cups (750 mL) unsalted chicken stock

2 tbsp (30 mL) honey

24 pitted prunes

Salt, if needed

Toasted sesame seeds and cilantro leaves to garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Pat lamb dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat oil over a medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a deep baking dish that will fit it snuggly.

Drain off fat from pan and lower heat to medium. Add butter then onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and ginger. Cook 30 seconds. Add saffron tea and chicken stock. Raise heat to high. When it comes to a boil, pour over lamb. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake on middle rack for 1 hour. Flip lamb and bake another 30 minutes. Remove dish from oven. Place honey in a small bowl. Ladle in some braising liquid and whisk to dissolve honey. Pour over lamb and sprinkle with prunes. Cover and bake until lamb is fork-tender, another 30 minutes.

Reduce oven to 200°F (100°C).

Carefully transfer lamb to another baking dish. Carefully strain braising liquid into a medium saucepan. Transfer prunes and onions to dish with lamb. Cover lamb with foil and place in oven to keep warm. Place liquid over a high heat. Skim and discard fat. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (375 mL), 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt, if necessary. Pour over lamb. Cover and return to oven to keep warm until ready to serve, up to 1 hour. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro before serving.

Serves 4

ARLETTES

Arlettes are ultra-thin, crispy and delicious cookies traditionally made with puff pastry, but a simple cream cheese dough can yield very similar results. Though the actual dough comes together with minimal time and effort, the cookies do need to be rolled out individually; this does take time… and a bit of effort. So just do what I do: find the time, put on your favourite music and enjoy the process.

CREAM CHEESE DOUGH

1 1/4 cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar

1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) cold unsalted butter 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold cream cheese

CINNAMON FILLING

6 tbsp (90 mL) sugar

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cinnamon

Icing sugar for rolling

For the dough, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces and scatter over the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Cut the cream cheese into several pieces and add to the flour mixture. Process just until the dough begins to come together. Finish bringing the dough together by hand, divide in half and shape into 2 small, flat squares, about

4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm). Wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Remove 1 square of dough from the refrigerator and rest on the counter to soften slightly. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an 8 x 12-inch (20 x 30-cm) rectangle. Sprinkle 4 tsp (20 mL) of the cinnamon sugar evenly overtop. Roll over the dough lightly to embed the sugar. Flip the dough over quickly and do the same for the other side. (Don’t worry if some of the sugar doesn’t stick to the dough.) With the long side facing you, roll the dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Repeat with the second piece of dough or freeze for future use.

For each log of dough, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 log of dough at time, trim the ends and cut crosswise into slices, a little over 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide, about 18 pieces in all.

Dust the work surface with icing sugar. Start with 1 slice of dough and place it spiral-side up. Roll it out in one direction to an oval about 3 inches (8 cm) long. (Flip the dough over to coat in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking). Repeat with all the dough.

Re-roll each piece out to a very thin oval about 6 inches (15 cm) in length. Brush off any excess sugar and place on the parchmentlined baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

Bake the arlettes for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over and bake another 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container. The cookies will keep for about 5 days.

Makes about 36

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS, SPICED TOMATO SAUCE & FETA

Charred cauliflower, crunchy chickpeas, cinnamon-scented tomato sauce and tangy feta come together in a hearty side dish that could double as a vegetarian main. The sauce, which is adapted from The River Cafe Cook Book 2 by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Random House UK, 1997), is also excellent with eggplant and lamb. If you don’t have a spice mill or mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds in a pepper mill.

SPICED TOMATO SAUCE

1 can (796 mL) whole plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp (5 mL) coriander seeds, coarsely ground

1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried chili flakes

3-inch (8-cm) cinnamon stick

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sugar to taste

1 can (540 mL) chickpeas

6 tbsp (90 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 large head cauliflower, cut into large florets, 10 to 12 cups (2.5 to 3 L)

4 oz (115 g) feta, crumbled

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 For the tomato sauce, empty tomato can into a mixing bowl. Discard any stray bits of skin and unripe tomato. Gently crush tomatoes with your hands. Set aside.

2 In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic over a medium heat. When garlic starts to sizzle, add coriander, chili flakes and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until garlic is just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully add tomatoes and lightly season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is very thick, 30 to 35 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add sugar if it’s too tart. Discard cinnamon stick. (Sauce can be cooled, transferred to an airtight container, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)

3 Place a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C).

4 Pour chickpeas into a sieve. Rinse under cold running water and drain. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Thoroughly dry chickpeas and discard paper towel. Drizzle with 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cumin and season with salt and pepper. Toss again.

5 In a large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower with remaining 4 tbsp (60 mL) oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

6 Place chickpeas on middle rack of oven. Bake, shaking pan occasionally, until chickpeas are brown and crisp, but still creamy on the inside, about 25 minutes.

7 When you put the chickpeas in, remove preheated baking sheet. Add cauliflower to hot sheet and arrange evenly. Return tray to bottom rack and roast until nicely browned on bottoms, 18 to 20 minutes. Flip cauliflower and roast until cauliflower is tender, another 5 to 7 minutes.

8 While cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, reheat sauce until hot. When roasting is done, arrange cauliflower on warmed serving platter. Spoon sauce over cauliflower—you may not need it all. Sprinkle with chickpeas and feta. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 6 to 8

PEAR AND CINNAMON SKILLET CAKE

I love the look of this cake, especially when it’s baked in a dark cast-iron pan. I have a pan that I reserve just for baking in order to prevent any savoury notes from permeating my cakes. Any heavy skillet will be fine as long as it can go in the oven and is void of any strong aromas from other cooking.

BAKED PEARS

4 firm but ripe Bosc pears Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar

1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon 2 tbsp (30 mL) water

CINNAMON STREUSEL

1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour 6 tbsp (90 mL) dark brown sugar 2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon

1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter

CAKE

6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

2 cinnamon sticks, crushed

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/3 cup (80 mL) vegetable oil

1 cup (250 mL) sugar 1 egg, room temperature

1 yolk, room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

2/3 cup (150 mL) sour cream, room temperature

1 For the pears, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2 Peel 2 of the pears, cut in half and remove the core. Cut the remaining 2 pears in half, leaving the skin intact, and remove cores.

Place the pears in a single layer in a baking dish, toss with the lemon juice, then place cut-side up in the dish. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the pears, then add the water to the dish. Bake the pears for 20 minutes, baste with the accumulated liquid and bake another 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cool, place the pear halves core-side down onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the pears lengthwise into thin slices, leaving the stem ends intact. Set the pears aside.

3 For the streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Work in the butter with your fingertips until combined. Set aside.

4 For the cake, butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet or cast-iron pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

5 Place 6 tbsp butter in a small saucepan. Add the crushed cinnamon sticks, then place the pot over medium heat. Cook until the butter is foamy and a nut-brown colour, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until tepid.

6 Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

7 Pour the vegetable oil into a large bowl. Pour the brown butter through a fine sieve into the oil and whisk to combine. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the egg, the yolk and the vanilla and whisk together. Add the sour cream and whisk until smooth.

8 Sift about one-third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and fold in gently until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour in 2 additions. The batter will be quite thick.

9 Spread half the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the streusel overtop. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread it evenly. Top the batter with the pear halves, fanning them out and arranging them randomly. Bake for 1 hour or until the cake is puffed and golden brown on top. Serve the cake directly from the pan, warm or at room temperature, along with some softly whipped cream or ice cream.

Serves 12

CINNAMON AND LEMON TART

There are a couple of secrets to this lemon tart. For optimum texture—and a crisp cookielike crust—make sure the tart shell is virtually fully baked before adding the lemon filling. The second trick is to catch that moment in the baking when the filling is just set but still wobbly in the centre; it will continue to set to perfection upon cooling. The addition of cinnamon to both the crust and the meringue makes everything that much more interesting.

TART DOUGH

1 3/4 cups (425 mL) cake flour

1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) cinnamon

1/4 tsp (1 mL) baking powder

1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (125 mL) icing sugar 1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

LEMON FILLING

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

5 to 6 large lemons

4 eggs

3/4 cup (175 mL) whipping cream

MERINGUE

1/3 cup (80 mL) egg whites, from about 3 eggs 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (155 mL) sugar

1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cream of tartar

1 1/4 tsp (6 mL) cinnamon

1 For the tart dough, in a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and baking powder and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and icing sugar. Add the egg, followed by the vanilla, and mix well. The mixture may look curdled but will come together once the dry ingredients are added.

2 Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

3 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch (30-cm) circle and fit it into a

9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork and chill for 1 hour or overnight.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

5 Line the tart shell with foil and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the beans and foil, and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. Cool on a wire rack.

6 Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).

7 For the lemon filling, place the sugar in a bowl and finely grate zest from 5 lemons directly into the sugar. Stir well with a fork to combine, and set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

8 Juice and strain the lemons—you should have 3/4 cup (175 mL) of juice—and set aside. Place the eggs in a separate mixing bowl and whisk just to break them up. Add the lemon sugar and whisk just to combine. Add the lemon juice followed by the whipping cream. Whisk just to combine, then strain mixture through a fine sieve.

9 Place the cooled tart shell on the middle rack of the oven and pour in the lemon filling. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or just until the filling is set around the outside but still wobbles in the very centre. Cool on a wire rack.

10 For the meringue, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

11 Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping down any sugar that clings to the side of the bowl. Continue stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved and the whites are hot to the touch—they should reach 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer.

12 Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the meringue is stiff, glossy and cools to room temperature, about 5 to 8 minutes.

13 Spoon mounds of meringue on the lemon filling. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread the meringue right to the edges of the crust and slightly mound it in the middle. Using a fine sieve, sift the cinnamon over the meringue.

14 Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The tart is best the day it is made but keeps well for a day or 2 if refrigerated.

Serves 10