Press Release: 26th July 2011
Amarula Cream Liqueur: Recipes to enjoy during the 12 Days
of Christmas
Share the pleasure of entertaining friends and family this Christmas
with Amarula
Day 1: The countdown to Christmas is upon us and doing battle with the crowds
on the High Street has begun! After a hard day pounding the streets, head home
and unwind with an Amarula winter warmer: Hot chocolate with a luxurious twist,
the perfect post-shopping pick-you-up.
Amarula Christmas Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
Premium hot chocolate (Hotel Chocolat is excellent)
2 shots Amarula Cream
Method:
Pour hot chocolate into mug or cup. Add Amarula Cream.
Garnish with shaved chocolate and star anise, or a cinnamon stick.
Christmas Gifting Tip: Add a bottle of Amarula and premium hot chocolate mix to a
Christmas hamper to give your friends the perfect winter warmer!
Day 2: Invite a few friends over for afternoon tea and add the perfect personal
touch with homemade Amarula Christmas Cupcakes…tempting holiday treats to
share!
Amarula Christmas Cupcakes
Ingredients:
125 g butter
125 g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
3 tbsp Amarula
Icing
110 g icing sugar
55 g butter
1 tbsp Amarula, plus extra to drizzle
Edible gold (flakes or dust)
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Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
the eggs one at a time, then mix in the flour and Amarula to give a smooth texture. Spoon
the mix into cupcake cases then place into the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Test
the cupcakes are cooked by inserting a tooth pick into the middle of one. If the toothpick
comes out clean, then the cupcakes are ready. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool.
Spike the cup cakes all over using a tooth pick, then drizzle some Amarula over the top
roughly 1 tbsp. Mix the icing ingredients together, beat until smooth, then place into a
piping bag. Pipe the icing onto the cooled cup cake, sprinkle with gold, and serve when
ready.
Christmas Gifting Tip: Pop a freshly baked Amarula cupcake into a gift box, tie with
ribbon and add a hand-written gift tag as a thoughtful present for someone you care about.
Day 3: Christmas entertaining has well and truly begun. Get guests into the festive
mood with a seasonal welcome cocktail.
Amarula White Christmas
Ingredients:
1/2 shot Amarula Cream
1 shot Brandy or Cognac
Grated Nutmeg
1 shot fresh cream
White Chocolate shavings
Method: Place all ingredients into shaker with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with white
chocolate shavings or for a Christmas touch, sprinkle with cinnamon, or add a cinnamon
stick.
Day 4: Unexpected guests on
the way? Don't despair; help is
here with this quick and easy
recipe for last-minute carrot
cake with a Christmas twist.
The Amarula Christmas
Carol Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
Cake
62.5ml Amarula Cream Liqueur
300g cake flour
10ml baking powder
7.5ml bicarbonate of soda
15ml mixed spice
4 large eggs at room temperature
312.5ml oil
300g castor sugar
500ml grated carrots
250ml well drained, grated fresh pineapple or Granny
Smith apples
250ml chopped pecan nuts
125ml smooth apricot jam
Pinch of salt
Cream Cheese Icing
15ml Amarula Cream Liqueur
60g butter
250g sifted icing sugar
125g cream cheese or smooth low-fat cottage cheese
Finely crushed Rich Tea biscuits (enough to lightly
coat base of tin)
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Method:
Sift dry ingredients twice. Beat the eggs until thick and add the sugar gradually (use an
electric beater at high speed for about 3 minutes) until the mixture is very thick. Add the
oil slowly and beat for a further 2 minutes. Add the carrots, pineapple, nuts, Amarula
Cream liqueur and apricot jam and mix by hand. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture
and fold in with a spatula until well blended.
Butter an angel cake tin and sprinkle with the dry biscuit crumbs to coat lightly. Pour the
mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 180 degrees for 70 minutes. Leave in tin until
cool and firm.
Icing
Cream the butter and gradually add the icing sugar. Gently stir in the Amarula Cream and
the cream cheese. Don’t over-mix once the cheese has been added as it may become
watery.
Day 5: Invite the girls round for a pre-Christmas get together and impress them
with this Amarula shot, best sipped though your favourite cream liqueur.
The Festive Delight
Ingredients:
1 shot of Amarula Cream
1 shot of hazelnut liqueur
Method:
Shake ingredients and pour into a shot glass - finish with a festive Ferrero Rocher
chocolate.
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Day 6: The in-laws are over for dinner and you want to impress with an after
dinner cocktail. Serve this snow-capped festive drink, with the palate-cleansing
properties of mint, for the perfect end to the evening. This one is certain to go
down well!
Amarula Mint Snow
Ingredients:
1 shot Amarula Cream
1/2 shot Crème de Menthe
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
Garnish with a couple of mint leaves
Method:
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a tall glass.
Day 7: Looking for quick and simple dessert ideas? Why not try these Amarula
chocolate-covered strawberries. Easy to prepare and perfect for impromptu gettogethers.
Ingredients:
1 12-ounce package of semisweet
chocolate chips
I cup half and half cream
1 to 2 tablespoons Amarula
Cream
60 large, fresh strawberries,
rinsed and patted dry
with stems left intact
Method:
Slowly melt chocolate in a bowl. Add cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from
heat and blend Amarula Cream until completely mixed into chocolate.
Hold each berry by stem, swirl in chocolate to partially cover; place on waxed
paper-lined cookie sheet.
Place in refrigerator until chocolate is set; transfer fruit onto a serving platter.
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Day 8: It might be cold outside – all the better to enjoy your favourite dessert –
add Amarula Cream liqueur to vanilla ice-cream to make this decadent dessert
cocktail – and you don’t have to share it if you don’t want to!
Ingredients:
2 shots Amarula Cream
150 ml vanilla ice cream
25 ml thick cream
Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender/shaker. Blend well.
Pour into a glass and garnish with chocolate powder or spun chocolate.
Day 9: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without traditional mince pies. Make
them unique by adding Amarula Cream to the butter for a truly tasty traditional
treat – you will be the envy of your friends. Or go the whole hog and add some
Amarula ice cream for a perfectly indulgent experience!
Ingredients:
300g plain flour
50g ground almonds
75g icing sugar
175g butter, chilled and cubed
Grated rind 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk
3-4 tbsp milk
The filling
225g mincemeat
Icing sugar to dust after baking
Amarula Cream to serve
150ml double cream, whipped to a soft peak
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp Amarula Cream Liqueur
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Method:
In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds and the icing sugar. Add
the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the lemon rind and then bind the pastry together with the egg yolk and
enough milk to make a firm dough.
Flour the work top and roll two thirds of the pastry out. Stamp out enough rounds
to make 24 mince pieces. Put the circles in the bun or mini-muffin tins.
Fill each case with mincemeat. Roll the remaining pastry out and cut out star
shapes to fit the tops.
Place the stars on the filling.
Chill the mince pies well, or freeze at this stage.
Bake the mince pies. Put the tray of mince pies directly on the floor of the roasting
oven and bake 12-15 minutes until pale golden brown. Cool slightly before
removing from the tin and the pastry will bake.
Fold the sugar and the Amarula Cream gently into the whipped cream and serve a
spoonful with each mince pie.
Day 10: The preparation is nearly complete and the presents are under the tree.
Now for the final, and most important, dessert of the festive season - the ultimate
Christmas pudding. Make these with a twist and add your favourite Amarula
Cream liqueur, the perfect way to finish off your Christmas dinner.
Amarula Individual Christmas puddings, with Amarula cream liqueur butter
The puddings
50g/2oz unsalted butter for greasing
250g/10oz suet
90g/3.5oz plain flour
90g/3.5oz fresh white breadcrumbs
25g/1oz candied lemon, finely diced
40g/1.5oz candied orange finely diced
150g/6oz raisins
150g/6oz currents
150g/6oz sultanas
zest of 1 lime, juice of !
90g/3.5oz soft brown sugar
2.5g/! tsp grated nutmeg
2.5g/! tsp ground cinnamon
1.25g/" tsp salt
2 free range eggs
30ml/1fl oz dark rum
30ml/1fl oz brandy
300ml/1/2pt milk
Amarula liqueur butter
125g/5oz unsalted butter, softened
125g/5oz icing sugar, sift
90ml/6tbsp whisky cream liqueur
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Method:
Lightly butter ten dariole moulds and set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and leave to marinate overnight. The
mixture should be fairly wet but if not add a little more milk and brandy, but do
not go overboard on the brandy.
Divide the mixture between the prepared moulds, filling them to about 1cm/!in
from the top. Cut out a disc of greaseproof paper and place it on top of each, so
that it is in contact with the mixture.
Lightly butter ten squares (just bigger than the top of a dariole mould) of
greaseproof paper and sit ten equal sized squares of tin foil on the non-buttered
side. Fold each one in the centre to create a pleat. Cover each pudding, buttered
side down, securing the foil and parchment with string tied tightly around the
outside.
Stand each basin on a cooling rack in a large pan filled with sufficient water to
come two thirds of the way up the side of the pudding bowls. (May need to use a
couple of pans if making ten).
Bring to the boil and simmer for 40-50 minutes topping up with more water as
necessary along the way. Be careful not to let the water level fall too far or else the
pudding will not cook properly. Cool and store in the fridge or a cool room until
Christmas Day.
To reheat, return to the pan as before and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the cream liqueur butter, soften the butter in a large bowl
until creamy. Add the icing sugar and the liqueur, stirring well to combine.
Spoon the butter into the centre of a piece of cling film. Wrap the cling film around
the butter to produce a sausage shape. Secure the ends tightly like a cracker.
Refrigerate to harden.
Turn the puddings out onto each serving plate. Place a slice of the butter on top of
each to just melt. Serve at once.
Christmas Gifting Tip: Give an individually wrapped Christmas pudding to your guests to
take home.
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Day 11: Almost there and the last few things to get done before C-Day– treat
yourself with an Amarula Espresso Martini. Smooth and rich with a hit of espresso.
The perfect cocktail to get you through the last day of Christmas preparation.
Amarula Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
1 shot Vodka
1 shot Amarula Cream
2 shot Espresso coffee
2 teaspoons Caster sugar (or to taste)
Decorate with a sprig of mistletoe
Method:
Shake coffee, vodka and sugar together with cubed ice, strain into a glass tumbler,
and layer Amarula Cream on top.
Day 12: Christmas is here, and what better way to greet your guests than with
decadent Amarula Chocolate Truffles. Simple, sophisticated and classic. Happy
Christmas!
Amarula Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
100ml Amarula
150g unsalted butter
500g dark chocolate
150ml double cream
250g cocoa powder
Method:
Break 270g chocolate into small lumps. Fill a saucepan with water, place a heatproof bowl
inside & bring to a simmer. Put the chocolate and butter into the bowl and melt them
both, slowly. To avoid lumps, do not stir. When the chocolate and butter are fully melted,
take the saucepan off the heat and carefully remove the bowl. Whisk in the double cream
and Amarula Cream Liqueur. Leave to set in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Start scooping out the truffles using a spoon or melon baller – they should form the shape
of a ball. Place truffles on a plate and leave to cool down in the fridge for half an hour.
To finish, melt 250g of dark chocolate (Green & Blacks is perfect) in the same way as
before. Dip each truffle into the melted chocolate and then roll in cocoa powder.
Christmas Gifting Tip: Wrap a bottle of Amarula Cream Liqueur with a box of truffles and
give it to your best friend for Christmas.
-ends-
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About Amarula:
From tree to bottle, it takes over two years to create each bottle of Amarula cream
liqueur. The principal ingredient, the marula fruit, is considered to be one of
Africa’s finest botanical treasures. This exotic fruit, hand-picked by local
communities in February and March, gives Amarula its distinctive taste and
smooth, rich texture.
Valued as a rich source of protein and anti-oxidants, the marula fruit is reputed to
have aphrodisiac powers – one reason that its parent tree is also known by local
people as The Marriage Tree. Difficult to cultivate, the tree grows naturally across
sub-equatorial Africa.
A versatile liqueur, Amarula can be served chilled over ice, mixed with hot
chocolate or coffee, and in a wide variety of truly indulgent cocktails.
For more ways to enjoy Amarula please visit www.amarula.com
Amarula Cream Liqueur ranked as one of the world’s hottest bar brands in the
most recent Drinks International survey as a Top Ten Hot Liqueur brand. It is
available from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. (RRP £12.49)
For further information and photography for Amarula please contact:
Kate Harris or Katy McDougal at Lucid UK
[email protected]
[email protected]
0207 491 2020
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