Is brandy an acceptable substitute for cognac in a recipe

HalfPint added 11 months ago

Should be fine. I've been told all cognac are brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. I think real cognac has to come from Cognac in France.

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ChefOno added 11 months ago

Indeed

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I substitute brandy all the time and it seems just fine.

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ChefJune added 11 months ago

If you use a French or Spanish brandy, it should be very similar ti taste and texture to most Cognacs. I would hate to waste good Cognac for cooking. It's very pricy.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added 11 months ago

As per all the above answers, it's absolutely fine. Now if you really want to bust the budget substitute armagnac or calvados; the latter being great with apple flavors.

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Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added 11 months ago

If you don't want to buy a full-size bottle of either, little airline-size bottles are very reasonable in cost.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added 11 months ago

Yes, you can probably find Hennessey in the mini size. Although on a price point basis a half pint is probably a better value because you can consume what's left.

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I think it depends how much the recipe calls for, if and if it's used as a major flavor enhancer or merely a hint of flavor. Brandy does not have the same flavor profile as most cognac so why not buy a small bottle of both ( they last forever).

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ChefJune added 11 months ago

There's a lot of brandy out there, and many whose flavor profiles closely parallel Cognac. Years ago I was steered toward the DeVille brand (made in France, but not in the Cognac region) by several French restaurant chefs. It still works. ;)

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