Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps Winterfruit Crackers

As an Ontario ex-pat who, at times, dearly misses the December postcard qualities of a city rich with Victorian-era brick houses covered in snow and softly alive with Christmas lights, I wholeheartedly welcome anything, food or otherwise, that caters to my feelings of nostalgia. As soon as I tried Lesley Stowe’s Winterfruit crisps, I discovered that they are an edible snapshot of the upcoming holiday season­—the dried fruit-studded crackers are reminiscent of thin slices of a sturdier fruitcake and are meant to be loaded up with a seemingly endless variety of toppings, dips, and cheeses. This limited edition Lesley Stowe product boasts dried plums, apricots, and cranberries as well as pumpkin and flax seeds. All of these ingredients make for a delicious cracker, but my favourite ingredient by far is the faint hint of orange zest that stands alone amongst all of the other flavour notes. Lesley Stowe has succeeded in making a cracker that not only revives memories of past holidays, but calls on us to gather socially, adorn the crisps with all of our favourite flavours and tastes of the season, and make new memories.

• Pair with goat cheeses; try something citrusy bright, such as fresh chevre from Salt Spring Island or Queso Maxorata from the Canary Islands, a goat cheese with a subtle yet warmly spicy herbaceous hit.

• Cook sliced red onions and a peeled Honeycrisp apple in lots of butter and olive oil over low heat for up to an hour until they become a sticky sweet confit to pile on top of the crisps; add a sprig of thyme for a delicate finish and for the lovely contrast in colour.

• Combine equal parts almond butter and thick Greek yogurt with honey and a dash of cinnamon, spread on the crisps and eat for a quick and filling snack—equally as good for breakfast.

• Roast a head of garlic and an eggplant until buttery smooth on the inside and charred on the outside. Scoop out the flesh and blitz in the food processor with a fruity olive oil, salt, lemon juice, za’taar, freshly cracked pepper, and Greek yogurt. Top with shredded mint and pomegranate seeds and serve with Winterfruit crisps.

 • Create a winter antipasto platter with Winterfruit crisps, peeled mandarin oranges or clementines, spiced assorted nuts, honeycomb, quartered pomegranates, St. Agur blue cheese or Pecorino Pepato shavings, roasted red and golden beets, a good quality or homemade onion chutney, and arugula or other assertive green lightly dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

• Break up Winterfruit crisps and add to stuffing for turkey or pork, combine with crusty bread, dried fruit, onion, celery, and orange zest. Rosemary, sage, and thyme all taste wonderful in the stuffing, either separately or in combination.

Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps Winterfruit Crackers are available wherever fine foods are sold.

— Ashley Linkletter