Another easy recipe is Crepes filled with Truffle Mousse Pâté and Green-Peppercorn Sauce. I used pâté from Alexian Pâté & Specialty Meats. While my local food store carries it, use the Store Locator to find a retailer close to you. For the crepe batter you’ll need all-purpose flour, water, milk, eggs, unsalted butter and salt. The batter is mixed in a blender and can be made a day ahead as well as the crepes. I don’t have a crepe pan, but instead used a non-stick 10-inch skillet. The first couple of crepes may not come out pretty, but after the first few, your  technique will improve as well as the appearance. There’s a lot of wrist action and finesse to release the crepe from the pan.
 
I located the green peppercorns at Spice and Tea Exchange while visiting Florida, but you can substitute black peppercorns. For the sauce you’ll need a shallot, fresh chives (I substituted fresh parsley), black peppercorns, green peppercorns in brine (mine weren’t in brine), unsalted butter, kosher salt, brandy or cognac, beef stock or broth, heavy cream and cornstarch which is optional.
 
The shallots are minced and the chives finely chopped. The black peppercorns are placed in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until coarsely chopped. The shallot is sautéed in a medium skillet with unsalted butter and salt until softened and lightly golden. The mixture is removed from the heat and brandy or cognac is carefully added. The pan is returned to the heat and reduced. Beef stock is whisked in along with the green pepper corns, if using, and some of the black peppercorns. The liquid is reduced by half. Next, the heavy cream and  remaining butter is whisked in and brought to a simmer. The mixture is cooked until slightly thickened. To complete the sauce, adjust the seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper if needed.
 
I placed two 1/2-inch slices of  pâté in the center of the crepe and gently flattened, taking each side I enclosed the filling, drizzled the peppercorn on top and garnished with chopped parsley.
 
If I must say so myself, I created a wonderful appetizer. The pâté was room temperature when set on the crepe and had a creamy, velvety texture. The combination of pork, turkey liver and chicken liver mousse had a delicate flavor, but the green peppercorn played well against it and offered a bit of heat at the back of the mouth; overall, a delightful dish.
 
The last recipe is courtesy of my son-in-law who knows that I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try. He found a recipe for Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Christina Marsigliese of the website “Scientifically Sweet” that sounded intriguing, in light of my recently made Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
 
For this recipe you’ll need salted roasted pistachios, olive oil, salted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, an egg, pure vanilla extract, pure almond extract, baking soda, salt, all-purpose flour, matcha powder and dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Baking Chocolate.)
 
Some key points regarding this recipe are:

• You’re making pistachio paste by grinding roasted pistachios and mixing in olive oil. I asked Christina if you could use pre-made pistachio butter to which she replied that it would have more oil, make the cookies spread more and be crispier. 
• Instead of unsalted butter, salted is called for here.
• While you can use dark brown sugar, Christina prefers light brown so the molasses doesn’t overpower the flavor of the pistachios.
• The matcha powder is optional. I purchased Traditional Medicinals Organic Green Tea with Toasted Rice - Matcha. While not the same as ceremonial grade matcha powder, it still offered the green coloring, earthy and bittersweet undertones with nutty notes. While I don’t mind spending money for quality ingredients, I wasn’t sure how well these cookies would go over. When I made these cookies a second time, I placed the tea in my spice grinder to obtain a finer texture then mixed it into the pistachio paste instead of the flour mixture to see if I could make the cookie batter greener.
• Once the batter is made, it is chilled for two hours before baking. Christine recommends this as it will help develop a chewy texture, caramelized flavor and a golden color.

 
These cookies were scrumptious! They had the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, a nice chewy texture and enough chocolate to make any chocoholic satisfied with the flavor. My husband loved them as did I.

Crepes
Recipe Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine
 
Yield: Enough batter for about 20 crepes
 
Crepe Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
½ cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon salt
 
In a blender or food processor, blend the flour, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, milk, eggs, butter and salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour (The batter may be made up to 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled).
 
To Make Crepes
Melt unsalted butter for brushing the pan. Heat a crepe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with butter, heat the pan until it is hot, but not smoking, and remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4 cup measure with it and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a thin layer of batter then turn the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crepe until the underside is browned lightly. Turn the crepe, brown the other side lightly and transfer the crepe to a plate. Make crepes with remaining batter in the same manner, brushing with butter as necessary. (The crepes may be made in advance, stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled for up to 3 days or frozen.

Peppercorn Sauce
From YouTube Video of America’s Test Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: about 1 cup
Serves: 2 to 4
 
Ingredients
1 large shallot
1/2 bunch fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons whole green peppercorns in brine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup brandy or cognac
1 cup beef stock or broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
 
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mince 1 large shallot. Finely chop 1/2 bunch fresh chives until you have about 3 tablespoons. Place 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and coarsely crush. Drain and rinse 1 1/2 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine.
2. Place the shallot, 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter, and 1/4 of the teaspoon kosher salt in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened and are lightly browned at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully add 1/2 cup brandy or Cognac. Return to medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
4. Whisk in 1 cup beef stock, green peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black peppercorns. Bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
5. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. If you would like an even thicker sauce, mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and add to sauce, whisking continuously. Cook for 1 minute more.
6. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and add season with more kosher salt and crushed black pepper as needed. Serve sauce spooned over steak, chicken, or grilled mushrooms. Garnish with the chives.

 
RECIPE NOTES
Substitutions: You can omit the green peppercorns in brine and use dried whole black (or mixed) peppercorns. Increase the black peppercorns to 2 teaspoons. In Step 4, add 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely crushed pepper, then taste and season with more coarsely crushed pepper if needed.
Storage: Leftover sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies
By Christina Marsigliese
 
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
 
Ingredients
    ½ cup 60g shelled salted roasted pistachios
    1 tablespoon 15ml olive oil
    7 tablespoon 100g salted butter, softened
    ½ cup 110g packed light brown sugar
    ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
    1 large egg at room temperature
    ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    1 cup plus 2 tbsp 160g all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon matcha powder
    1 cup 5oz/142g dark chocolate  chopped into chunks
    2 tbsp ground pistachios for topping
 
​Instructions

1. ​Prepare the pistachio paste. Place pistachios in a small food processor and pulse until very finely ground. Add oil and grind until the mixture forms a thick paste. It won’t be smooth like peanut butter, but it will be thick and coarse. Prepare the cookie dough. Beat butter with both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using an electric hand mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in egg and extracts until evenly incorporated and smooth. Mix in pistachio paste. 
2. Combine flour with matcha powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the butter mixture and fold it in. Add chocolate chunks and fold them in until evenly distributed. The dough will be soft and sticky.
   
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. 
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
5. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough and roll into smooth balls, then place onto prepared baking sheets spacing them at least 2 inches apart since these cookies spread a lot (do not make the dough balls too big). Sprinkle the tops with extra ground pistachios. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden around the edges. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cookies cool for a minute before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling. 

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Roast your nuts. This is non-negotiable for this recipe. If you do not roast the nuts (or use pre-roasted pistachios), they will be bland and their flavor will be so mild that the caramelization of the cookie dough will over-power the taste.
• Make a pistachio paste. This is the key to getting a rich pistachio flavor right through the cookie dough. The oil will help to carry the flavors so they permeate throughout. ! Just a teaspoon in this recipe is the key to making them stay chewy for days.
• Don't skip the salt. The right amount of salt is so important to enhance the pistachio taste and a bit of flaky salt on top makes the flavors pop!
• Use regular large size eggs. Large eggs weigh 57g. Using an extra-large egg will add up to 2 teaspoons more liquid to the cookie dough which can throw off the moisture balance and make the cookies spread too much.
• Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 2 hours. Refrigerating cookie dough serves several purposes: 1.) Flour hydration - time in the fridge allows the flour to fully hydrate from the moisture of the egg and the water in the butter. If the flour is evenly hydrated, the cookies will be thicker and they will bake more evenly; 2.) Flavor development -as the baking soda becomes more evenly incorporated with the flour hydration, the cookies will brown more evenly which will help them develop flavor more quickly; and, 3.) Chill the butter - butter in the cookie dough will also firm up in the fridge so that the cookies won’t be so greasy after they've baked. Chilled fat will also spread less readily during the initial stages of baking so the cookies won't spread uncontrollably.