GOLDEN DELICIOUS

Indulge your loved ones with an extra special dessert. Celebrate the flavours of a summer Christmas by using SPAR Freshline fruit cake and their sweet, seasonal fruit.

FRUIT CAKE AND SUMMER FRUIT STRUDEL SERVES 8-10 | PREPARATION + COOKING TIME: 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mixed SPAR Freshline summer berries (raspberries and blueberries)

6 SPAR Freshline strawberries, thinly sliced 6 SPAR Freshline nectarines (or plums), stoned and thinly sliced

1/3 cup SPAR icing sugar, sifted

2 T heaped cornflour (Maizena), sifted 300 g SPAR Freshline Christmas fruit cake 250 g SPAR frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

1/ cup melted butter 2

100 g flaked almonds 1/ cup SPAR icing sugar 4

Extra SPAR Freshline fruit and berries, to garnish

Mint sprigs, to garnish (optional) SPAR vanilla-flavoured custard, to serve

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the berries, strawberries, nectarines or plums, 1/3 cup icing sugar and cornflour. In a separate bowl, crumble the fruit cake. Keep to the side.

2. Place three phyllo sheets next to each other lengthwise on a clean working surface overlapping slightly. Brush generously with melted butter and a sprinkling of almonds. Add more layers of pastry, butter and almonds until all the pastry is used. Reserve a tablespoon of almonds for decoration.

3. Spoon the fruit filling onto the pastry in a straight line about 2 cm from the bottom of the sheets. Spread the crumbled fruit cake on top.

4. Carefully and lightly roll the dough from the bottom up over the top of the filling. Coil this roll of filled dough to form a wreath shape and tuck the ends together. Carefully place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

5. Brush the top of the wreath with melted butter, sprinkle with the reserved almonds and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool slightly.

6. Transfer the wreath to a serving plate. Mix 1/ 4 cup icing sugar with just enough water to make a thick white frosting and drizzle over the top. Decorate with extra fruit and, if you want, a sprig or two of fresh mint. Serve with the custard.

No longer the domain mainly of bearded old men, cigar bars and gentlemen’s clubs, whisky is steadily holding its own as a perfect spirit for cocktails. Even for the most discerning whisky lover, a whisky-based cocktail can be refreshing, while retaining that underlying age-old air of sophistication.

INGREDIENTS

50 ml Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7

22,5 ml lime juice

7,5 ml sugar syrup

Lemonade

15 ml Chambord or berry liqueur of your choice

METHOD

1. Half-fill the shaker with cubed ice.

2. Add all ingredients except the lemonade, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.

3. Fill up quarter of a highball glass with cubed ice.

4. Strain the liquid into the glass.

5. Top with lemonade.

6. Drizzle the Chambord around the surface of the drink.

7. Float three raspberries on the drink to garnish.

CA BLAZE COCKTAIL

Shoutout to Hennessy! A staple at any hip party and a “culprit” in many

I Blew It stories, Hennessy is considered the ultimate status symbol when it comes to an appreciation for the culture. The Ca Blaze Cocktail is a fizzy cocktail with floral, spicy accents. It certainly showcases the full-bodied flavour of Hennessy Very Special, offset by notes of vanilla and elderflower, which has a slight hint of litchi.

The Hennessy Very Special in Motion by Les Twins is currently available at Makro and Pick n Pay stores nationwide. If you can’t find the limited edition bottles, normal Hennesy will do.

INGREDIENTS

30 ml Hennessy Very Special Les Twins

15 ml vanilla syrup

12 ml elderflower liqueur 25 ml lime juice

40 ml ginger beer

Lime wedge

METHOD

1. In a shaker, combine all liquids except ginger beer, and shake it up.

2. Fill a glass with ice cubes and strain into a tumbler.

3. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.