Orchard Mist

A refreshing cocktail I got from Food and Drink Autumn 2011.

To a cocktail shaker, add 1/4 cup cranberries and 1 cup sweet red apples, peeled and chopped, Muddle well.  Fill the shaker with ice and and 1 1/2 oz Calvados, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1oz simple syrup.  Shake sharply and strain into a goblet filled with crushed ice.  Add a pinch of cinnamon and garnish with apple slices and whole cranberries.

**Simple Syrup:  Combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to boil, stir until sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled, store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Easy Eggnog

I know this is out of season but it is too good not to share!  The eggs are cooked so salmonella is not an issue here and the recipe is super easy.  The better the rum, brandy and ice cream the better the eggnog.  From Food and Drink 2000.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool, then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Coffee Roasted Rack of Pork

A wonderful dinner recipe.  You can't go too far wrong with rosemary and pork.  If you can't get or afford rack of pork - just get some bone in pork chops and cook in a pan.  I did that with this and it turned out well.  From Food and Drink 2003

1 rack of pork consisting of 6 chops about 1.6 kg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup table cream
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Optional
1 tbsp cold water
1 tsp cornstarch

1. Pat dry the meat, season, then spread mustard onto the fat side, sprinkle over the chopped rosemary.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Place the pork in a roasting pan, bone side down.  Roast for 15 minutes and then reduce temperature to 325F.  Continue to cook for 2 hours or until an instant read thermometer registers 165F when inserted into the centre of the roast away from the bone.  Remove from the roasting pan and allow to sit loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes.  (The roast will continue to cook).  
4. Pour off any fat from the roasting pan, add coffee and brandy then bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce by a quarter, then pour through a fie sieve into a saucepan.  Add stock, cream and sugar and continue to boil until slightly thickened.  Season.  If you want a thicker sauce, mix water and cornstarch together and whisk into hot coffee mixture.
5. Remove string from roast and slice into chops.  Serve with the sauce. 

Hot Apple Brandy

A nice festive drink!

In a saucepan, simmer 6 cups apple cider, 1 cup brandy, 1/2 cup apricot brandy, 3 cinnamon sticks and 1/2 tsp ground cloves for 20 to 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Grilled Whole Veal Tenderloin with Brandy Butter Sauce

The Brandy Butter Sauce here is fabulous.  I used my gas bbq for this despite the recipe calling for an infra red one.  I just set one side on high for about 15 minutes and then seared the meat and then placed it on the unheated side to cook.  If you can't find veal tenderloin (I couldn't) use pork or beef tenderloin (I used beef).  From Food and Drink Summer 2011.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup brandy
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 veal tenderloins, each about 750g, silver skin removed
1/4 cup steak spice
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp olive oil

BRANDY BUTTER SAUCE
1 tbsp butter
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp brandy, diluted with 2 tbsp water
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brandy and thyme to combine.
2. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels.  Fill an injector with the butter mixture.  Stab and inject the tenderloins in multiple places.  Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours
3. IN a small bowl, combine the steak spice and smoked paprika.  Remove tenderloin from the refrigerator, rub with the olive oil and then massage well with the spice mixture.  Set aside for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
4. For brandy butter sauce, place a medium saucepan over medium heat on the barbecue side burner or stovetop.  Heat 1 tbsp of butter until foaming.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until very soft and fragrant.  Remove from heat and stir in the diluted brandy.  Whisk in the cold butter, 1 cube at a time, until fully incorporated.  If the mixture becomes too cool to melt the butter, place it back on the burner briefly while whisking constantly to ensure sauce does not split.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm over very gentle heat until ready to serve.
5. Preheat the grill to medium high or 450F.  Preheat the infrared burner for 1 minute.  (If using a gas bbq use the above instructions).
6. Place the tenderloin on the infrared burner and sear, about 1 1/2 minutes a side.
7. Move tenderloin to medium high side and grill for about 4 to 6 minutes a side for medium rare.  Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. Slice the tenderloin into 1 inch thick medallions, remove to a platter and spoon brandy butter sauce over.  Sprinkle with additional thyme leaves if you wish.

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bowl

This dessert can be made in one large bowl or individually - you choose :)

11 Graham Wafers
1/2 cup strong coffee
2 tbsp coffee liqueur or brandy
1 pkg (250 g) Cream cheese
1 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg unflavoured gelatine
1 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 square bittersweet Chocolate, finely grated

1. Spread wafers, overlapping if necessary in bottom of an 8 inch round glass dish or serving bowl. Mix together coffee and liqueur.  Brush evenly over wafers.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add mascarpone and vanilla, beating until smooth.
2. Sprinkle gelatine over 1/4 cup of the milk.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Combine remaining milk with sugar and bring to a boil.  Stir gelatine into milk mixture.  Let cool slightly.  Beat half of the milk mixture into mascarpone mixture.  Scrape onto graham wafers and smooth to cover evenly.
3. Mix sour cream with remaining milk mixture.  Drizzle over mascarpone layer.  Gently smooth until even.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Just before serving, sprinkle grated chocolate over top.

Brandy Alexander

This is apparently a traditional Christmas Eve drink - I think I just found a new tradition.

1 1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
2 oz 10% cream

GARNISH
freshly grated nutmeg

Shake brandy, creme de cacao and cream with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Grate nutmeg on top.

Egg Nog

Got this from Food and Drink 2000!  I simple recipe that uses cooked eggs so you don't have to worry about salmonella.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve with each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Eggnog Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of my favourite desserts.  This one is a little different with an eggnog flavour.

2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup rum
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated nutmeg
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar for topping

1. preheat oven to 325F.
2. Bring whipping cream, brandy and rum to boil.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Stir in vanilla and nutmeg.  Reserve..
3. With an electric mixer, beat together egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until thick and lemon coloured.  Whisk in warm whipping cream.
4. Butter six 1 cup custard or ramekin cups.  Divide custard between them.  Place cups in a baking dish large enough to hold all six.  Add hot water halfway up sides of cups.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the custard is just set.  Remove from water bath, cool and refrigerate.
5. A few hours before serving, sieve 1 tbsp remaining sugar evenly over each custard.  To caramelize sugar to a  golden brown, place under a broiler as close to heat as possible and watch closely to avoid burning it.  It takes about 1 to 2 minutes to turn a golden brown colour.  Cool and serve.

Three Onion Soup

I love Onion Soup!  This is a lighter version.

2 tbsp butter or olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup brandy or dry red wine
4 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add leeks, red onion, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and saute for 2 minutes or until starting to soften.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 45 minutes or until golden.
2. Increase heat to high.  Add brandy and stir to scrape up any brown bits stuck to pan.  Cook until almost evaporated.  Stir in stock, water and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until reduced by about one quarter and flavour is rich.  Discard bay leaves.
3. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into warmed bowls and sprinkle with chives.

Serves 6

Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

I can only say decadent!

1/2 pkg (375g) puff pastry, thawed

1/3 cup ground almonds, lightly toasted

2 cooking apples, Spy, Mutsu or Pink Lady

2 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup Calvados or Brandy

1. Roll out pastry into a very thin 1/3 inch disk about 11 inches in diameter.  Place the pastry disk on ungreased baking sheet.  Prick well all over with a fork, leaving a 1/4 inch rim untouched around the edge.  Refrigerate the pastry for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and sprinkle with toasted almonds, avoiding the rim.
4. Peel, core and cut the apples into quarters.  Thinly slice the apple quarters, and then place the slices, overlapping, in concentric circles over the pastry leaving the 1/4 inch outside rim of the pastry uncovered.  Brush the apple slices with melted butter and bake the tart for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden
5. While the tart is baking, make the caramel sauce.  Place the sugar in a small saucepan, add 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over a low heat stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Once the sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil and continue to boil until the sugar turns to golden caramel.  Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the calvados or brandy.  (the mixture will bubble and spit).  Return the pan to a low heat and stir to dissolve the caramel into a sauce.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
6. Remove the baked tart from the oven and place on a serving dish.  Pour the warm sauce over the top of the tart and serve.