Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, Cognac Sauce

Valentines Day is right around the corner. Isn’t that nice. Now that we’ve all made these ‘get healthy’ resolutions, captain-corporate-America figures that we’ve given up by now. (we haven’t) Ads for candy and recipes for gut busting treats are popping up all over the Net (thank you Pinners!). Most of us are going to be doing some cheating thru the month of February, and I’m here to help you out with that – you’re welcome. 

Oh, no – I’m not helping you stay on track. This is a fall-off-the-wagon gracefully deal. Don’t worry, it’s not some FiveGuys double with cheese and all the fries you can eat – fall off the wagon AND ROLL INTO A DITCH deal ! No, no, in my world, if I have to crawl back up into the wagon, then I’m going to try and stay out of the mud – but it will definitely be worth the fall. 

A little back-story on this one. For Christmas, I had made English Plum Pudding. Yes, that one. I looked up what I would consider the ultimate recipe for that dish. The classic James Beard 1963 version. James Beard, if you don’t know, was pretty much the father of modern cooking. A prolific cookbook author, and friend of Julia Child’s he was a large man with an even bigger appetite for everything from food to fun to booze. So it was no surprise that this pudding was fabulous! I’ll save that post for next Christmas though. This pudding was to be topped with hard sauce (icing) or cognac sauce. Oooo, ‘cognac’ sauce? What is THAT? Sad to say that when I searched, I found a savory steak sauce with cognac – not what Mr. Beard had in mind, I’m sure. Keep looking….then I found a site called Dramatic Pancake (I like the name-lovely site too). This blog had a recipe for a ‘NOLA Bread Pudding’ topped with Cognac Sauce. My mouth was watering just reading it. After making the plum pudding, I had just enough Remy left to try it. And try it I did. So simple – so good. 

Cognac Sauce – something you could fall off all sorts of wagons with!

Step 1: Gather together:

1 Stick of Butter, room temp

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup Cognac (or bourbon or rum…)

Step 2:

Cream, slowly, the room temp butter and sugar.

Step 3: 

Add in the liquor and continue to whip. Yes, I own one of those fancy schmancy stand mixers (which I love), and here I am with the ultra cheapie hand mixer! I’m just thrilled I can hold the mixer in one hand and the camera in the other – showin’ off!

Step 4:

Look how smooth and yummy. Oh, you thought this was an actual ‘sauce’…no it’s really an awesome icing that melts super fast and creates an incredible sauce over anything it touches.

Finale:

I wish you could smell this. Use it for whatever and then save what’s left. I had a bowl in the back of the fridge saved for ’special’ recipes (like Valentines?) Later I’ll show you what else you can use this for, besides everything. Seriously, anything that needs to be ‘adult’ can use a dollop of this. Red Velvet cupcakes (or cookie) YES! Chocolate anything, ‘oui! Melted and drizzled over butter pecan ice cream ! Bread Pudding – Plum Pudding – Bananas Foster Pancakes?!! Here’s a teaser for next week. 

I think I just bruised my backside falling off that wagon!

Michelle Beal @ Badzoot

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