D'Artagnan Cocktail

A while back, mom bought a bottle of Armagnac that we used in a recipe (I believe it was for duck, and quite excellent). We still have quite a bit left, so we decided to try a cocktail using it. Really like this one--it's very orange and nice for sipping.

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. (15 mL) Armagnac

1/2 oz. (15 mL) Grand Marnier

2 oz. (60 mL) orange juice

1/2 oz. (15 mL) simple syrup

brut sparkling white wine (we used Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée)

Directions:

1. Place 4-5 ice cubes in a shaker, then add the Armagnac, Grand Marnier, orange juice, and simple syrup.

2. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe glass.

3. Top glass rest of way with the sparkling wine and give a gentle stir to combine. Enjoy!

Amazing Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

 

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe? Yes! Never too many! What sets these apart is a couple of atypical ingredients and no need to chill the batter, despite using melted butter 😮 10+/10!

Link to my YouTube 'making of the recipe' video:https://youtu.be/B5_gbK_GYNE

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26827502/soft-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 c. plus 2 T. melted salted butter

1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)

1/4 c. plus 2 T. raw/turbinado sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. white distilled vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

210g (1 3/4 c.) all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

flaky sea salt, to garnish 

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

 

2. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, and turbinado sugar until fully incorporated.

 

3. Stir in the egg, followed by the vinegar and vanilla.

 

4. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

 

5. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl (butter mixture) and stir until just combined.

 

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

 

7. Use a large cookie scoop (around 3 T. size) to portion dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing portions 2" apart.

 

8. Bake for 12-14 min, until cookies are slightly golden. After removing from oven, let cookies rest on sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

 

9. Garnish with sea salt and enjoy! 

Individual Beef Wellingtons with Marsala Sauce (with video link)

**Pardon my dust -- entry in progress!** 

Seriously amazing dish alert!! These are sooo incredibly delicious! Just typing this up makes me want to have them again right now. They are so good you can even forego the sauce if you don't feel like fussing with it. To accompany it, I made these Sautéed Potatoes, which took longer to cook than what I'd written, so my picture is only of the beef wellington.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/ZoLoYQhmU4M

Ingredients:

2 beef tenderloin filets, around 4-6 oz each 

1/2 T. olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

4 oz. button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 

Directions: 

Creamy Potato Gnocchi

Yes, another potato gnocchi recipe--just so yummy!

Link to my YouTube 'making of the recipe' video: https://youtu.be/JABNbbTJs1U

Original recipe credit: https://www.saltandlavender.com/one-pan-creamy-gnocchi-with-sausage/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 lb. hot (or mild) ground Italian sausage

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. dry white wine

~14 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 c. heavy cream

1 lb. shelf-stable potato gnocchi

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan

handful of torn basil

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking into crumbles as you cook it. Cook until just beginning to brown.

2. Add in the minced garlic and cook for around 1 min.

3. Stir in the dry white wine and let cook for 1 minute.

4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and heavy cream, stirring until mixture is homogenous.

5. Add the potato gnocchi and stir to distribute/coat. Bring to a simmer. Once it reaches simmer, cover and reduce heat to keep it at low simmer for around 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the Parmesan and basil, then season with salt & pepper, to taste. Cook for another minute, then serve and enjoy!!

Mini Almond Cupcakes

These are soooo good!! I had some almond paste to use up and found this recipe in my recipe binders, though I'm not sure which magazine it came from. At any rate, I highly recommend it! It's particularly good with my homemade frosting (I don't have a set recipe for to share, though), which I flavor with both vanilla and almond extracts.

Link to my YouTube 'making of the recipe' video: https://youtu.be/fytAo95takg

Ingredients:

2 1/2 oz. almond paste

1/3 c. sugar

1 large egg white

1/4 c. milk (I used whole, could also use 2%)

2 T. canola oil

85g (3 oz., or around 2/3 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

frosting, if desired

Directions:

1. Spray the cavities of a 24 mini cupcake mold with a non-stick baking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use your fingers to combine the almond paste and sugar (smush it together) until it becomes a coarse sand-like mixture.

3. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg white into the mixture, followed by the milk, then the canola oil.

4. Whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour, then gradually add and beat in the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the bowl.

5. Divide batter evenly among the prepared cavities of the mini cupcake mold (around 2 tsp. each).

6. Bake for 8 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. (took exactly 8 min for mine)

7. Cool in pan for 5 min, then remove cupcakes from mold and transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling completely before frosting (if desired). Enjoy!

Big Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

Yum! These cookies are very tasty and easy to make, and not a huge batch.

Link to my YouTube 'making of the recipe' video: coming soon!

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a36148345/lemon-cookies-recipe/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

300g (2 1/2 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 T.) butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar, plus more for rolling/coating

1/4 c. brown sugar, packed

zest of 2 medium lemons

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

3 T. lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest, using an electric hand mixer.

3. Beat in the egg and egg yolk, then the lemon juice.

4. Gradually mix in the reserved dry ingredients mixture, until just combined.

5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight (I went overnight).

6. Once dough has chilled, heat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.

7. Form dough into large balls (around 3 T./walnut size), then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls at least 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets.

8. Bake for 12-14 minutes (I went close to 14), or until edges are slightly brown and middles are still soft. After removing from the oven, leave on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to baking rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Duck Breast with Grand Marnier Sauce & Duck Fat Potatoes

Another fabulously delicious meal! 10+/10! 

 

Adapted from : https://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-recipes-wild-game-cooking/duck-breasts-with-grand-marnier-sauce

and https://www.dartagnan.com/duck-fat-roasted-potatoes-recipe.html

Ingredients:

2 duck breast filets, scored in cross-hatch pattern across skin

1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

1/4 tsp. white peppercorns

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 T. orange zest 

1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 T. sugar

1/6 c. Grand Marnier

1 1/2 T. cold butter, sliced in 4 pats

for the potatoes --

duck fat rendered from the duck breasts' skin

3/4 lb. baby yukon gold potatoes, cut in ~1" chunks

water to parboil the potatoes

small splash of white vinegar 

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper 

dried or fresh rosemary, to taste (I used dried because it is what I had on hand) 

Directions:

1. Grind coriander seeds and white peppercorns together in a spice grinder. Combine ground mixture with the kosher salt.

2. Rub the mixture evenly all over both duck breasts.

3. In a medium or large skillet, place the duck breasts skin side down. Turn the heat on medium-low. This will allow the fat to render from the duck skin, takes around 10-15 min. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450°F.

4. Remove from heat and set pan aside. Fill a medium saucepan around halfway with tap/cold water, then add the potatoes to the water.

5. Transfer to stove and add the small splash of white vinegar, then a bit of kosher salt. Bring water to boil, then let boil for 5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and drain water off through a colander. Place potatoes in a medium mixing bowl, then temporarily transfer duck breasts to another plate. Pour the rendered duck fat into the bowl with the potatoes and toss to coat. Return duck breasts to skillet.

7. Season the potatoes with kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, and rosemary, to taste. Toss to coat, then spread evenly in one layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Transfer to oven and roast for 35 min, turning potatoes over once around halfway point.

8. When potatoes have about 20 min left, begin making sauce: in a small saucepan, combine the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and Grand Marnier. Heat over medium to medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Keep boiling until reduced to around 1/4 c. (I did not measure). Remove from heat and stir in the cold pats of butter until fully melted and combined.

9. When the potatoes have around 10 minutes left, return the duck breasts to stove over slightly higher than medium heat. Cook duck for 4-5 minutes per side or until it is medium rare.

10. Slice duck breasts, top with sauce, serve with potatoes and enjoy a lot!