If you are up to your ears in holiday parties, buying gifts and wrapping gifts, all while trying to keep the house clean…The last thing you have time for is researching new and fun recipes on multiple websites. To help you out, our holiday blog is filled with fun and easy recipes from our Centurion family that are sure to impress your guests!

ALAN

Forgotten Cookies: tastes like biting into a cup of Hot Chocolate topped with Whipped Cream! I recommend making these the night before you need them as they’ll need to be “forgotten” in the oven until morning.

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3/4-1 c. sugar (according to preference)

3/4-1 c. mini chocolate chips (according to preference)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Add vanilla to egg whites and beat with electric hand mixer on high until just foamy.

3. Add cream of tartar and beat on high until soft peaks form.

4. Slowly add in sugar while continuing to beat until all sugar is added and tall stiff peaks have formed. Add chocolate chips

5. Portion onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 

6. Place all cookies into oven at once and immediately shut oven off.

7. Wake up to a delicious treat!

MARSHA

Simple Shortbread:

Ingredients:

¾ cups of butter

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup icing sugar

½ cup cornstarch

Instructions: 

Preheat oven at 300 F. Blend first with a pastry knife or fork until granular. Mix with spoon, I prefer hands until a smooth dough. Cut dough into 30 equal portions, approx. 13.5 grams. Roll into balls and press with a floured fork. Can be rolled and cut with cookie cutters as well. Bake for 12 minutes. 

Turnip Puff:

Ingredients:

6 cups of cubed turnips – frozen works well

2 Tbsp. butter

2 eggs, beaten

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tsp. baking powder

Salt and pepper to taste, pinch of nutmeg

½ Cup fine bread crumbs

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Instructions:

Cook turnips until tender. Drain and mash. Add butter and eggs. Beat well. This much can be done the day ahead. 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir into turnips. Butter a casserole dish and put in turnip mixture. Combine bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle on top and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until light brown on top.  

KAYDE

Brownie Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Miniature candy canes (2 inch), unwrapped

1 cup green candy melts

Red and green candy sprinkles, gold nonpareils, and other sugar decors

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure the foil is tucked into all the corners and there is at least 1 inch overhanging the top of the pan on all sides.

2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine unsweetened chocolate, chocolate chips, and butter. Microwave on high until chocolate is almost melted. Whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake the brownies until they are just set and a few moist crumbs stick to a toothpick inserted into the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Grasping the overhanging foil on either side of the pan, lift out the brownies and place them on a cutting board. Place the board in the freezer for 10 minutes, to allow the brownies to firm up. Cut brownies into 3 rows. Cut each row into 6 triangles. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Reserve ends for snacking.

6. Break off the curved ends of candy canes. Insert straight piece into bottoms of triangles to make tree trunks. Place candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until halfway melted. Whisk until smooth. Dip a fork into the bowl and then wave over brownies to create garlands. Sprinkle with decors.

7. Let stand until candy melt mixture is set. (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, in single layers separated by parchment or waxed paper, up to two days.) Makes 18 brownies

JORDAN

Classic Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

For the base:

100g butter, melted and 250g digestive biscuits, crushed

OR, if you’re lazy…buy the premade Graham pie crusts in the tin from stores.

For the caramel:

100g butter, 100g dark brown soft sugar, 1 can (250-300mL size) of Sweetened Condensed Milk

For the top:

4 small bananas, 300ml carton whipping cream, lightly whipped (OR, the aerosol cans…for the lazy ones), and grated chocolate

You will also need…

20cm loose-bottomed cake tin, greased (OR the one from the pre-made store graham crust that you bought)

1. Put the biscuit crumbs in your bowl, then tip in the melted butter and mix it all together. Spoon this into the base and press against the bottom and sides – this is the base of the banoffee pie recipe. Chill it for ten minutes.
2. Melt the butter and sugar into a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved. Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, stirring all the time for a thick golden caramel. Spread the caramel over the base, cool and then chill for about 1 hour, until firm or until ready to serve.
3. Carefully lift the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate. Slice the bananas; fold half of them into the softly whipped cream and spoon over the base. Decorate with the remaining bananas and finish with the grated chocolate.
4. To get the most out of our banoffee pie recipe, make sure that you really boil the filling for at least 1 minute to be sure it sets to a fantastically tasty squidgy caramel.

KIM

Scottish Shortbread:

Ingredients:

1 cup of melted butter

1 cup of brown sugar

2 cups of rolled oats

1 dash of salt

1 cup of flour 

Instructions:

Mix flour and oats together, then add melted butter and mix all together. Spread in a pan about ½ inch thick. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Cut into squares while warm. Do not remove from pan until cool.

Shortbread:

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup of brown sugar 

1 lb of butter

4 cups of flour

Instructions:

Mix and roll out with cookie cutter (or wine glass!) about 3/8 inches thick. Decorate with whatever you prefer then put in oven for ½ hour in 350 degree oven.

BREANNA

Christmas Crack

Ingredients

50 saltine crackers 

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks, cubed)

1 cup soft light brown sugar 

2 cups chocolate chips

½ – 1 cup of holiday M&M’s (or whatever topping you want ex: Skor bits, sea salt, caramel, crush candy canes)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Line a large pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray and then line the pan with saltine crackers.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized pot over low heat. Stir until the butter is melted. Once melted, bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Stir constantly.

3. Once it’s changed to a caramel color, remove pan from heat and pour over crackers. 

4. Place pan in oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. 

5. Remove pan from oven, melt the chocolate in microwave and then pour over the top with a spatula. Sprinkle holiday M&M’s (or any other toppings) and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. After cooling, break off into pieces and enjoy!

TODD

Super soft super easy Gingerbread cookies 

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup molasses

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.

Next, add egg and molasses and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger, stirring to combine.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Form or scoop balls of dough that are slightly smaller than a golf ball. 

Finally, bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking for approximately ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

We hope these recipes help you through the holiday season as a one-stop shop for fresh and delicious ideas. 

From our family to yours, Happy Holidays! 

Centurion Center

Continue reading ‘Your Guide to Our DineWell Catering Service’ »

Continue reading ‘7 Surprising Ways to Make Your Event Stand Out’ »

Food is the most important part of any event. That’s why at Centurion Conference Centre, we focus on offering our clients the best in catering services. We have been catering Ottawa events of all shapes and sizes for more than 15 years, and have won numerous awards for our exceptional food. Learn more about why our Centurion Catering services stand above the rest, and why we’re widely regarded as the best caterers in the area for our innovative and inspired cuisine.

Over 20 Years of Experience

We offer an experience you can count on. With over 20 years of experience in the catering industry, we take pride in offering a delectable menu to fit your every need. Our team will go above and beyond to ensure that we do everything to your satisfaction. You’ll only find the freshest ingredients, made from scratch and delivered on time. Plus, we only offer generous portions with outstanding presentations that will wow your guests.

Award Winning Team

We are proud to have won numerous awards for our first-class catering and event services, and our team and services are rated among the best in the city! In fact, many of our customers are repeat clients, and much of our business comes from glowing referrals.

Menus For Every Occasion

Whether you’re planning an office party, company picnic, black-tie social, birthday party or wedding, we have the perfect menu for your theme and budget. Our menu features classic favourites as well as imaginative cuisine founded by our legendary executive chef. Select from our premium selection of flexible packages, a-la-carte options, or our Dine Well fine dining menu to make any occasion one to remember. If you would like something on the list, let us know, and we’ll try our best to accommodate your requests.

Both In-House and Offsite Options

You don’t have to worry about arranging the food for your event – our professional event coordinator will help you with all your catering needs. Whether you need just appetizers, sandwiches, prime rib dinner, or a full-plated course meal, our catering services can deliver. You can also rely on Centurion Conference Centre for delivering offsite through our Customer Express catering division. Our offsite catering services provide the same unsurpassed attention to detail as our in-house catering service.

A Perfect Location

We also have the perfect location for your event. Our full-service Conference Centre offers over 14,000 square feet of stunning ballroom and meeting room space to accommodate groups as large as 800. You’ll also love our convenient location that’s right in Kanata — only minutes away from the major highways and the Ottawa airport.

For years, leading Ottawa businesses and event planners have trusted Centurion Conference Centre to plan and present their premier events to deliver an impression of quality and sophistication. To learn more about how our catering services contact us directly to speak with our in-house coordinator.

Are you planning to say “I do” in 2019? If so, now’s the time to start getting a foot up on your wedding arrangements if you haven’t already! And before you jump in, we’ve got all of the top wedding décor trends for 2019 to keep in your back pocket when planning to make your wedding the show-stopper of the season. Check them out below!

Coloured Gowns

Ivory and white aren’t the only colours that you’re going to see coming down the aisle in 2019. Today, brides are looking for a more personalized look – something that’s unique to their personality and will make them stand out. So expect to see a shift from the standard white dresses to splashes of colour, and even darker tones to complement specific themes.

Modern Table Settings

Over the past few years, greens and pastels have ruled the wedding world. But come 2019, we’re seeing more of a transition to modern table settings, with black and white as the main colour scheme that offers a sharp, clean and elegant contrast that just works. Also, black and white table settings will make the catering you order stand out like never before. Cue all the Instagram posts!

Buffet Stations

We’ve seen buffet weddings take center stage over the past couple of years, and this year will be no exception! But there’s a fresh new twist on the standard buffet settings. We anticipate more unique food options like carving stations, mini comfort foods, and late-night nacho chips and dip stations throughout 2019. Talk about taking your wedding catering to the next level.

Video Booths

The standard photo booths that were once popular are now being replaced with newer mobile ones that can be set up in a pinch and add instant fun and silliness to your big day. It’s easy to set up on a big touch screen, and you can even get a preview of what your GIF or photo will look like! Video booths and digital photo booths with unique and whimsical props are perfect for getting your guests up and out of their seats and having a good time while creating memories with fun photos that will last a lifetime.

Designer Bars

The one area that is often overlooked is the bar – but not in 2019! The bar area is finally getting the attention it deserves. This year, we’re seeing the standard bar set-up being transformed with charming, stylish and elaborate displays. They feature additions like beautiful flower arrangements and even framed chalkboards to add more personalized touches.

Reception Lighting

Couples are also focusing more on the overall ambiance of the wedding. So don’t be surprised to find plenty of string lights, stylish candles, lantern lights, globe lights, and fairy lights used to create that extra ‘wow’ factor. Expect to see a mix of lighting being also used on tables, across the bar, and roped around trees. Not only do atmosphere lights create a beautiful ambiance but they also make a fantastic background for photos.

Hanging Flowers

A trend that we don’t see vanishing anytime soon is the use of hanging flower décor. Using lush displays of hanging floral arrangements can turn any venue into a stunning, picturesque space – whether it be a tent, backyard or convention center.

From simple, to elegant and elaborate – we have the event coordinators to help you plan out every detail of your wedding at Centurion Conference Centre. We also offer a wide variety of menu options for your catering services and packages to suit your theme and budget, in addition to audiovisual equipment, full bar service, and over 14,000 square foot of space that features an elegant ballroom and foyer, and can accommodate groups up to 800. Contact us today to learn more about our wedding packages.

Are you planning to host a fundraiser but aren’t entirely sure how to generate a substantial amount of donations for your cause? The best way to get more money flowing is by getting people more engaged while making the donating process as easy as possible for them. Follow these tips to learn more about encouraging more donations at your fundraising gala.

Run a Silent Auction

One way to get people to donate more is to get them excited about donating in the first place. Silent auctions are a great way to do this. During a silent auction, a number of items or packages are displayed for donors to inspect closely and bid on. When they find something they like, all they need to do is put their name down on the sheet with their bid and the person with the highest bid at the end of the event wins the prize. By asking local businesses to donate prizes, you can help to promote their products while also making money for your cause — it’s a great way to give back to your community and get people motivated to donate.

Ask for a Specific Amount

When a donor doesn’t know what an appropriate donation amount is, they will likely underbid or not bid at all. Instead, set a standard amount for a typical donation. This will take the burden off the donor to figure out what size of contribution is appropriate and, in most cases, will result in them over-exceeding the standard amount, which works in your favour.

Go Mobile

By creating a fundraising page to receive online donations, you can ask donors to donate there to help improve your chances of receiving more money before, during, and after your event. Many people prefer the option of going mobile because it gives the donors a chance to donate by using credit or debit instead of a cheque, which can also improve the amount you receive.

Use Social Proof

People tend to follow the herd which is why you can influence others to donate by using social proof at your event. All you need to do is set up a large display screen and live feed to show how many people have already donated. You could also set up a scroll that displays the names of all the people who have participated (with their permission, of course) to help influence others to donate as well.

Another way to encourage donors to contribute more is to set the right ambiance at your next event. To do this, you need the perfect venue space, excellent staff, amenities, and fantastic food. The longer they stay, the more they tend to donate. When you need the ideal event space for your upcoming fundraiser, turn to Centurion Conference and Event Center. To learn more about how our space can make your event a success, contact us today!