Caramel Brandy Valentine

Last year, I made my valentine a steak with caramel brandy sauce. It was so nice to be at home instead of a crowded restaurant. The sauce is so good I could drink it straight up.

Nothing says love like a homemade meal for my valentine, so I'm going to make it again this year. To go with this deliciousness, I'm trying a new pre-dinner cocktail. Enter espresso martini.

For some reason, this sounds soooo good with steak and caramel brandy sauce. However, steak without Malbec seems so wrong. So the tini will be a fun pre-dinner drink.

This recipe from The Barefoot Contessa looks divine, notably because she uses pure espresso and coffee liqueur, without the artificial taste of Bailey's. Ina knows how to keep it real! To me, there's nothing worse than watering down a great espresso taste.

I'm going to adjust the measurements to make two cocktails instead of an entire pitcher. Bon Appetit!

Espresso Martini

Steaks with Caramel Brandy Sauce, Courtesy of My Mother
2 filet mignons (you can use 4, but I prefer more sauce with fewer filets)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
3 tablespoons butter, divided (do not use margarine)
3 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
Chives for garnish (optional)

Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in medium skillet over medium to high heat. Once butter is melted, add steaks, cooking 3 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. If your steaks are extra thick, cook each side as well as top and bottom of steak. Remove from skillet and keep warm in the oven.

Add brandy to skillet, stirring to loosen particles from the bottom of the pan. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and browns.

Remove skillet from heat. Whisk in cream until blended. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly for a minute or until sauce thickens. Serve sauce immediately over steaks.