How you doin’? I designed my first Baked Brie En Croute for TGI Friday’s way back in the day. Originally, I fried the Brie because it was quick and easy, but it had too much cheese leakage. I then tried to bake it in the oven, but that was too slow. Finally, I placed the cheese wheel in a microwave oven with a little brown sugar on the top. It was good and quick, but not the “en croute” I was looking for.
 
My ultimate Baked Brie En Croute recipe wraps a whole mini wheel of Brie cheese topped with preserves in store bought puff pastry. It's baked until the pastry is golden and crisp, and the Brie is warm and gooey inside for a cheesy treat.
 
It’s quick and easy to make and everyone will love it.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  30 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings:
 
Ingredients 
1 (8 ounce) wheel Brie cheese
3 tablespoons raspberry, apricot or peach preserves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg white
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Lightly grease a sheet pan or line with parchment paper.
3. Spread the preserves of choice on top of the Brie.
4. Wrap the entire wheel of Brie with one sheet of puff pastry.
5. Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet seam-side down.
6. Brush the puff pastry with the egg white top and sides.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
8. Serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  I did all the development research just for you and I consider baking this recipe as the best way.
Quip of the Day:  Q. What happened after an explosion at a French cheese factory? A: All that was left was de Brie.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #HorsDd'Oeuvres #HolidayRecipes #2024Recipes #BrieEnCroute #Brie #BakedBrie #PuffPastry #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? No one has never doubted my taste for all things sweet—and Original Danish Kringles are high on my list.
 
What’s a Kringle? A Kringle is a hand-rolled Danish-style pastry dough that’s been rested overnight before shaping, filling and baking. After filling with fruit, nuts or other flavor combinations, the pastry is baked and topped with a sweet almond scented white glaze.
 
Joan’s native Wisconsin state has historically been a center of Danish-American culture and Kringle-making. A typical Racine-made Kringle is a large, flat oval measuring approximately 14 inches by 10 inches and weighing about a pound and a half. The Kringle became the official state pastry of Wisconsin in 2013.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Refrigerate time:  overnight
Bake time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  2-Kringles / 8 to 10 Servings
 
Ingredients 
For dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
1 package instant yeast
2 large beaten eggs
1 cup whole milk
 
For the filling
1/2 cup granulated  sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
1 cup finely chopped almonds, divided
 
For glaze
2-2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon whole milk
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
 
Directions
To make the dough

1. Put the flour, butter, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your hands, blend together until the mixture is crumbly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry yeast, beaten eggs and milk.
3. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients.  Mix well with a fork until all ingredients are blended. The  mixture will pull away from the sides and form a ball.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten into discs.
5. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day / assemble the Kringles

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Mix together the two sugars and the cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Melt the butter and set aside.
4. Roll out each piece of dough to 1/8 inch thickness about the length of your cookie sheet and as wide as 1/8 inch will allow.
5. Brush each piece of dough with half of the melted butter; sprinkle each piece with half of the sugar mixture and top with half of the almonds.
6. Rolling from the short ends, roll each side in toward the center.  Pinch the center together and roll the ends under. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
7. Place each Kringle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Gently shape each Kringle into an oval.
8. Allow the Kringles to proof for 30 minutes.
9. Split the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
10. Bake 20-25 minutes rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
11. Remove Kringles from cookie sheets to a cooling rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.

To glaze the Kringles

1. Mix glaze ingredients together and whisk until smooth.
2. Drizzle and spread the glaze over the top of the Kringles.

ChefSecret:  Baker's guilds in Europe have used the Kringle or pretzel as a symbol for centuries. It is told that when Vienna was besieged by the Turkish Ottoman armies in 1529, local bakers working in the night gave the city defense an early warning of the attacking enemy. For this, they were later rewarded by the Pope, with permission to use a crown as part of their Kringle Guild Symbol.

Quip of the Day:  Have you heard about the dippy Dane; he spent the whole day staring at a can of frozen orange juice because the label said concentrate!
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #DanishKringle #WisconsinKringle #Breakfast #Brunch #HolidayRecipes #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                                        PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? There are only 5 more evenings until it’s New Year’s Eve. How are you planning to spend this special time? I live in Henderson, Nevada and can see all the fireworks, drones and the programing of The Sphere from the warmth and comfort of my living room far above the fray. So, I have invited a few people over for a viewing party from atop the hill. 
 
I need to serve a New Year’s cocktail befitting 2025 and my Fleming Fiz is perfect for the occasion. One might say it’s a cross between a Penicillin and a French 75. I’ve always thought that the Penicillin, with its ginger and honey, was the perfect whiskey sour for winter—just right for the colder months and New Year’s Eve. This sort of left-handed tribute is in honor of Sir Alexander Fleming, the doctor who discovered penicillin antibiotics.
 
This is a bold, spicy cocktail for Scotch lovers—if you prefer your ginger a little less pungent, add 1/4 cup additional water and 1/4 cup additional honey to the syrup. Leftover syrup is excellent for sweetening tea, a hot toddy, or even a cup of hot cocoa.
 
Total time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
For the ginger honey syrup
1/2 cup roughly chopped peeled ginger
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
 
For the cocktail
1-1/2 ounce blended Scotch
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
3/4 ounce ginger-honey syrup (see ChefSecret)
2 ounces chilled sparkling wine (I prefer Champagne… after all, it is New Year’s Eve)
 
To finish it off
1/2 teaspoon smoky scotch ( I prefer Laphroaig)
Lemon twist and candied ginger on a pick
 
Directions

1. Combine blended Scotch, lemon juice and *Ginger-Honey Syrup in a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill it with ice and shake it well until very chilled.
3. Add Champagne to a flute glass or a rocks glass.
4. Then strain the cocktail into the glass.
5. Gently float the smoky Scotch on top of cocktail.
6. Garnish with lemon twist and candied ginger.

*ChefSecret: Preparing ginger honey syrup is easy. Combine the ginger and a 1/2 cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract all the juice. Pour 1/2 cup of the ginger juice into a large resealable jar and stir in honey. Seal the jar tightly and shake until honey is completely dissolved.
Makes enough syrup for 10 cocktails. Syrup will keep for 2 weeks covered in the refrigerator; shake well before using.

Quip of the Day:  Q. In what year did Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall in the same year?  A. Every year!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
#Cocktail #HappyHour #PenicillinCocktail #BlendedScotch #HoneyGingerSyrup #Laphroaig #Ginger #TheCustomsHouse #Milk&HoneyBar #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Peking duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the chef.
 
Ducks bred especially for this dish are harvested after 65 days. They are blanched, pumped (with a bicycle pump), dry hung and seasoned before being deep fried. It is a massive undertaking. My recipe cuts the time and mess down considerably. Instead of 3 days’ work you can do the home version in just a few short hours.
 
The meat is often eaten with spring onions, cucumber, and hoisin or duck sauce, with pancakes rolled around the fillings.
 
Prep time:  45 minutes
Passive time:  1 hour 30 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 (5-1/2 pounds each) large roasting ducks, innards and wing tips removed
6 quarts of chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice (I prefer The Spice House 5-spice mix)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon 5-spice seasoning
 
Directions

1. Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2.  With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.
3. Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot that can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of 5-spice seasoning until it boils.
4. Add the whole ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn’t enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover.
5. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed.
6.  When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.
7. When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 X 18 X 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast.
8. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Be careful not to break the skin.
9. Place the ducks in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of 5-spice inside and out.
10. Allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.
11. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500⁰ F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!)
12. Roast the ducks for 30 minutes until the skin starts to get crisp. The interior temperature should be a minimum of 165˚  F.
13. Remove the ducks from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes.
14. Carve and serve warm.

ChefSecret: This classic Chinese Five Spice mix unites the five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. Based on the traditional philosophy of balancing yin and yang, Chinese Five Spice complements fatty meats like pork belly, goose and older, large fatty chickens.

Quip of the Day:  I work with a Chinese guy called Kim and one time at a work function, we were having a drink, and I said to him, “Kim, do you ever get fed up with us Westerners saying that all Chinese people look the same?”  He replied, “Kim’s at the bar getting drinks, I’m his wife.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #Dinner #PekingDuck #RoastDuck #TheSpiceHouse #5-Spice #HolidayRecipes # 2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024