42 cognac recipes

French stuffed duck legs and sliced breast with blueberry gastrique sauce. Duck thighs filled with a veal, pork, and giblet forcemeat, served with seared aiguillettes.

For as far as I can remember my Aunt made this custard filled cake that has what seemed like 100's of layers. Unbelievably good.

A Moroccan-inspired beef stew marinated overnight in red wine with cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and cloves, then braised for three hours and finished with cognac-soaked prunes, almonds, and sesame seeds.

Fattigmann, a traditional Norwegian fried cookie flavored with cardamom, lemon zest, and brandy. Diamond-shaped, paper-thin, and dusted with sugar.

Old-fashioned spiked eggnog with bourbon, dark rum, whipped cream, and 60 eggs for a crowd of 50. A rich, boozy holiday punch with real whipped cream and fresh nutmeg.

Fresh cranberry relish with whole oranges and a splash of Grand Marnier or Cointreau. No-cook, food processor recipe ready in 15 minutes.

Butter-tossed lobster tails in a bourbon and white wine cream sauce with sauteed shallots and morel mushrooms, plus bonus tomalley croustades with Gruyere.

Shrimp cheese pate with tiny Danish shrimp, soft cheese, sherry, and black pepper beaten until smooth. A no-cook Scandinavian-style appetizer spread ready in 15 minutes.

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.

Italian cheesecake blends silky mascarpone with creamy ricotta, brandy, and vanilla, then bakes into two graham cracker pies with a tender, lightly set filling. A no-water-bath cheesecake with old-country flavor and zero fuss.