981 brand recipes

Buche de Marrons au Chocolat, a French chestnut and chocolate log (no-bake variation of buche de Noel) with Calvados, wrapped in whipped cream bark and garnished with candied violets. A show-stopping Christmas dessert.

Brandy-spiked pumpkin cheesecake on a buttery pecan crust with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. A rich, spiced holiday dessert worth the overnight chill.

Classic French steak au poivre with tri-color peppercorn crust, cognac flambe, and rich cream pan sauce. Restaurant-quality pepper steak in under 30 minutes for an elegant dinner.

Beef brisket roasted on a bed of onions, then glazed with beer-braised prunes, apricots, brown sugar, brandy, and warm spices. A sweet-savory showstopper for special occasions.

Braised beef round steak seared and oven-simmered in brandy, dual mustards, juniper berries, shallots, and sun-dried tomatoes. A French-inspired dinner that slices tender and sauces itself.

Traditional Swiss Basel Leckerli: honey-spice cookie bars with cinnamon, cloves, candied peels, kirsch, and almonds under a crackly sugar glaze. Makes 50 to 60 bars that keep for weeks.

Pork loin scallops sauteed with baby artichokes, apple slices, sage, and Calvados in clarified butter. A Normandy-inspired one-pan saute restaurant-quality and ready in 30 minutes.

A chocolate mousse tart that deserves the title "Death by Chocolate" Yum.

French coq au cidre with chicken braised in sparkling dry cider and Calvados with caramelized onions, bacon, prunes, and a bouquet garni. Normandy comfort food at its finest.

This rich and moist cake made of candied cherries, pecans and coconut is bound to have you thinking about seconds.

Chicken breast with sour cherry sauce, cracked peppercorns, and coriander in a white wine-brandy reduction. A French-inspired pan sauce built right in the skillet.

Mock mincemeat without any meat, made with raisins, molasses, brown sugar, brandy, cracker crumbs, and warm spices. A vegetarian filling for holiday pies.

Award-winning gingerbread with molasses, brandy, orange juice, and four warm spices: ginger, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg. A moist, deeply spiced loaf studded with raisins.

Hawaiian chicken liver pate with sherry, brandy, curry powder, and toasted walnuts, shaped like a pineapple and decorated with olive slices. A retro showpiece appetizer for parties.

Olive oil marinated mushrooms simmer button mushrooms in herbed wine vinegar with thyme, garlic, and brandy. A make-ahead antipasto that gets better after a night in the fridge.

Lobster with curry sauce from Bon Appetit: poached lobster medallions served over a silky reduction of tomato, Calvados, white wine, and warm curry spices. A dinner-party centerpiece with French technique.