Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes Featuring Crown Royal Maple

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and we wanted to share a few recipes for those of you looking for different flavors and ingredients for your favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Crown Royal, cookbook author Genevieve Ko, and food blogger Susan Palmer developed an entire #SeasonOfMaple Thanksgiving dinner menu, complete with appetizers, entrée, cocktails and desserts that all featuring Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky as the key (and seasonal) ingredient!

Maple Bacon, Scallop, and Apple Stacks

(Makes 1 dozen)

• 6 strips bacon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 12 dry-packed sea scallops, tough muscles removed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• 2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, halved, cored, and cut into 12 thin slices
• 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
2. While the bacon cooks, pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with the salt and cayenne. To the bacon fat in the pan, add the butter and turn the heat to high. When the butter foam subsides, add the scallops in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned and just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Drain any remaining fat from the skillet. Add the Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky and boil, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the pan, until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar until the mixture becomes syrupy and thick, about 1 minute, then turn the heat to low. Break each strip of bacon into half and add to the syrup. Cook, turning, until well coated and caramelized.
4. On each apple slice, stack a scallop and a piece of bacon. Garnish with red onion slices and serve.

Crown Royal Maple Finished and Brown Sugar Roasted Delicata Squash

• 1 medium delicata squash
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the stem end of the delicata squash off until it reveals the inside of the squash. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds and pulp out of the squash. Cut the squash into ½ inch rings and transfer to a large baking dish and lay flat.
3. In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it just begins to brown. Whisk in the brown sugar and Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Stir until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
4. Pour the butter/sugar mixture over the squash, coating each piece evenly. Season with the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
5. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Roasted Sage Sweet Potatoes

(Serves 12)
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

• 1/2 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage leaves, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
• 3 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425DF.
2. In a large bowl, stir the Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky, oil, maple syrup, sage, garlic, and chile. Add the sweet potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Arrange the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a half sheet pan and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Roast, carefully turning the sweet potatoes once, until the sweet potatoes are browned and tender, about 40 minutes.
4. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving platter. Drape the prosciutto over the sweet potatoes. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin strips of Parmesan on top, then garnish with sage leaves.

Allspice Roasted Duck with Balsamic and Crown Royal Maple Finished Glaze

(Serves approximately 4 people)

• 1 – 4 to 5 pound Duck, next and giblets removed from cavity.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 pound assorted red and sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch dice
• For the glaze:
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a rack with 1 cup of water poured in the bottom.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and allspice.
3. Wash the inside and outside of the duck and pat completely dry with paper towels. Score the skin all over with a sharp knife, careful not to cut too far into the flesh. Rub both sides of the duck with allspice mixture and sprinkle any remaining in the inside of the duck.
4. Place the duck on the baking sheet breast side down and roast for 35 minutes.
5. While the duck is roasting, in a small saucepan mix the balsamic vinegar and Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Bring to a bowl and reduce by ¼.
6. After 35 minutes, remove the duck and prick the skin with the tip of your knife. Carefully remove the duck from the rack to a cutting board and pour out the rendered fat. Arrange the potatoes on the bottom of the roasting pan, replace the rack and the duck breast side up.
7. Generously brush the glaze all over the duck and return to the oven to roast for another 35 minutes.
8. After 35 minutes, remove the pan, flip one more time and brush the glaze one more over the duck. Return to the oven to roast for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
9. Once finished cooking, let rest tented with foil for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with the duck fat roasted potatoes and additional glaze over the carved duck.

Pumpkin Crown Cake

(Serves 12)
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 12 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Dried apricots, candied ginger, candied orange peel, or other dried fruit, cut into decorative shapes, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 12-cup domed cake pan or Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the raisins and 1/4 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Microwave for 3 minutes and cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and 1/4 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth, then fold in the raisins with its Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Transfer to the prepared pan.
4. Bake until golden brown and a tester or skewer inserted comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire pack for 10 minutes. Unmold onto the wire rack and cool completely.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining tablespoon Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip or large resealable plastic bag with a 1/4-inch hole snipped in one corner. Pipe the frosting around the base, sides, center, and top of the cake to resemble the trim of a crown. Decorate with the dried fruit to resemble jewels on a crown.

Mulled Crown Royal Maple Finished Apple Cider

• 4 cups apple cider
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 8 strips orange zest
• 1 cup Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• ¼ cup Triple Sec
• Orange slices and additional cinnamon sticks for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the apple cider and brown sugar. Stir in the cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and orange zest. Bring the cider barely to a simmer and remove from the heat. Stir in the Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky and Triple Sec.
2. Place a slice of orange and cinnamon stick in each glass and pour the mulled cider over.

Crown Royal Maple Finished Old Fashioned

• ¾ oz. Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• ¾ oz. Bulleit Rye
• 1 Tsp Demerara Syrup
• 2 Dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 Dash Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Directions:

1. Stir & strain into a rocks glass.
2. Garnish with lemon & orange twist.

Crown Royal Maple Hot Toddy

• 1 ½ oz Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
• ¼ oz Lemon Juice
• ½ oz Honey Syrup
• top with Hot Water

Directions:

1. Dry shake all ingredients, except hot water & pour into a coffee mug.
2. Garnish with a lemon twist spiked with cloves & a cinnamon stick.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!