| Abricot du Roussillon | Add some to Champagne, Chantilly and, of course, apricots. |
| Amaretto | This will augment the flavor of almonds in a cake and is delicious in ganache and Chantilly. |
| Armagnac | A classic with prunes and chestnuts, Armagnac is found in many a winter cake. |
| Calvados | An essential in apple cakes. Clear Creek Distillery makes an apple brandy that has been aged eight years and is the closest American option. |
| Chambord | The black raspberry liqueur. It is delicious in a soaking syrup for a genoise topped with fresh berries and Chantilly. Added to buttercream, it complements a lemon cake beautifully. |
| Cognac | Offers a rounded, enveloping elegance that gives a complex dimension to even a simple Chantilly cream. |
| Cointreau & Grand Marnier | Both are made with oranges, but Grand Marnier, made with bitter oranges, has a brandy base and is aged in oak. Cointreau is sweeter, transparent and livelier, but less complex. If I want the citrusy brightness, I turn to Cointreau. If I want a sophisticated undercurrent of orange, I reach for Grand Marnier. |
| Creme de Casis | The ruby of Kir, it is what elevates a simple coulis of raspberries as easily as it turns a genoise syrup or buttercream into something French. |
| Creme de Framboise | Use this as you would creme de cassis whenever the taste of raspberries is desired. Clearly a great match for a bowl of summer berries, in a coulis or added to a chocolate ganache. A tablespoon will lightly scent a batch of madeleines or financiers. |
| Creme de Peche | Add to a glass of Champagne or anything with peaches. |
| Frangelico | A wonderful alternative to hazelnut extract, Frangelico has notes of vanilla in it as well as a touch of coffee. |
| Limoncello | Use on a bowl of berries, in Chantilly, as a soaking syrup, in a glaze, brushed on a genoise or brightening up a buttercream. Limonsardo is a Sardinian version that is a little less sweet. |
| Poire Williams | This pear liqueur amplifies the pear notes in a pear cake, but it is also lovely in chocolate mousse. Pear and almond are the closest of friends and show up together in everything from simple yogurt pear cakes to frangipane pear tarts. |
| Rum | Substitute with vanilla extract. Add three to four times the amount of rum as you would vanilla, if substituting. Or add both, as familiar vanilla dances with the more spirited rum. |
| St. Germain or Fleur de Sureau Sauvage | Elderflower likes lemons, limes, and roses. |
Spirits