Sherry & desserts

Just in time, I'm sharing a few last-minute tips for a Sherry Christmas. These tips are also useful year-round, because #makesherrygreatagain. But if you're thinking, "I don't know where to begin with these sherries," here's the answer. Start with the sweet ones. And then pair them with a delicious dessert. Everyone happy. Success guaranteed!

Cinnamon pavlova with praline cream and fresh figs

This is an Ottolenghi recipe that has already been served a few times during the holidays. Not by myself, but by friends. A big tip: patience and a gentle touch. Pavlova breaks just by looking at it. It resembles meringue, but with a slightly moist interior, making it even more fragile. Incredibly delicious, indeed. Sweet too, so it needs a wine with a similar sweetness. In comes PX. And not one of those super-syrupy, dark brown PXs, but one with a beautiful golden color and an aroma best described as a "cross between sherry and Sauternes." Well, that's what you want, isn't it?

The recipe comes from Sweets from Ottolenghi and you can also here find online.

Wine food : Bodegas Luis Perez PX Carrascal (via Xpertvinum )

Pecan and ginger chocolate salami

Salami what? No, fear not. It looks like salami, but it's not. It's a fantastic salami-like sausage made of chocolate. Filled with pecan and ginger, and because of those two stars, plus the chocolate—a great idea with a medium sherry. Medium sherry is usually an amontillado (sometimes oloroso) sweetened with PX.

The recipe is from Ottolenghi and can be found on the website of The Guardian .

Wine pairing : El Maestro Sierra Medium Sherry (via Peeters Wine Merchant )

Tiramisu

The time-honored classic, tiramisu, can, of course, be traditionally paired with a glass of Marsala. The original recipe includes it. But we can also take a trip to Spain. I would serve a cream sherry with tiramisu. It's a bit sweeter than a medium sherry. An oloroso is used as the base, then sweetened with PX. Tiramisu is rich and sweet with a lot of flavor, so it deserves a wine that can match it.

Not all tiramisu is the same. I've tried many and I'm most impressed with this one. This recipe is from Albert Heijn . Don't use too much coffee; use a little more Amaretto (or Marsala) instead. Don't soak it, but dip the ladyfingers briefly in it. This way, they'll retain their crunch.

Wine pairing : Juan Piñero Cream Sherry (via Xpertvinum or André Kerstens ) or Valdespino Cream Sherry (via bovino.nl )

Sticky fig pudding with salted caramel and coconut topping

The word "pudding" doesn't exactly make me hungry. How much influence does the title have on your taste? Probably a lot, because there are entire studies on clickbait. Newspaper articles, blog posts – it has to have a catchy title, otherwise no one will click through. Well, don't call me with that title, Ottolenghi. Luckily, this dessert came my way anyway, when I was served it during a games night with Viticulture (big tip). It's actually a cake. A sticky cake, admit it, doesn't that sound better?

The recipe comes from Sweets from Ottolenghi and you can also here Find it online. You can use half the sugar.

Wine pairing : Bodegas Ximénez Spinola Cosecha (via Anfors )