What's Cookin' Honey

31/08/2025

Ive been uber busy writing the second book, and wanted to give you a taste of the style of the book. Although this recipe did not make the final cut, I was trying to create a book where the process for recipes dont take significant time. A wellington done correctly, well now this is fruits worth the labor. It would be pricey, but this could also be cut down to be a beautiful starter if you were throwing a very fancy dinner party.

Welcome to my take on Bite Size Beef Wellington

Mini Beef Wellingtons (No Pork, No Blue Cheese)

Ingredients
6–8 oz beef tenderloin fillet (center-cut, trimmed)
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
8 oz sh*take mushrooms (or portabella full mushrooms), finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme (plus extra for garnish)
½ tbsp hand-torn fresh parsley, or minced
¼ cup Madeira wine
1 pastry dough sheet (puff pastry)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
1 egg (for egg wash)
1 thin crêpe (or phyllo sheet brushed lightly with butter), cut to size
Saltverk Artic Thyme Salt & freshly ground Tellicherry pepper to taste

Madeira Cream Sauce
½ cup Madeira wine
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp butter (cold, diced)
Saltverk Birch Smoked Salt & Tellicherry pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Mushroom Duxelles
Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped.
Melt butter in a skillet, add shallots and cook until soft.
Stir in mushrooms and thyme, cooking until all moisture evaporates.
Deglaze with Madeira wine, simmer until nearly dry, then stir in hand torn- fresh parsley to preserve the oils.
Season with Saltverk Flaky Sea Salt and Tellicherry pepper.
Cool completely.

Sear the Beef
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet or pan. Sear beef fillet on all sides until browned but rare inside. Your pan needs to be very hot, you want to sear quickly but not burn. When flipping move to different unused places in the pan, to let the other spots reheat.
Remove and let rest 10 minutes. Sslice into 12 even medallions.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Wellingtons
Roll out pastry dough and cut into 12 equal squares.
On each square, lay a thin strip of crêpe to protect pastry from moisture.
Spread a spoonful of cooled duxelles on top, then brush beef lightly with Dijon mustard and place on top.
Fold pastry around beef and duxelles, sealing edges well.

Bake the Wellingtons
Place parcels seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush with egg wash (egg + water), score lightly with a knife for steam release.
Chill the entire sheetpan for 10 minutes in the fridge. We want to cool and tighten the pastry.
Bake at 375°F for 12–15 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

Make the Madeira Cream Sauce
In a small saucepan, simmer Madeira wine until reduced by half.
Whisk in cream and Dijon mustard; let thicken slightly over low heat.
Off the heat, whisk in cold butter for gloss.
Season lightly with Saltverk Flaky Sea Salt and Tellicherry pepper.

Serve
Plate warm Wellingtons individually or on a serving platter.
Spoon a ribbon of Madeira cream sauce beneath each or drizzle lightly on top.
Garnish with a sprig of thyme or a few microgreens for elegance.

Chef’s Notes
Madeira offers a natural sweetness and depth that flatters beef tenderloin without overshadowing it. By replacing pungent blue cheese with a Madeira cream sauce, the dish stays refined yet approachable, perfect for guests who prefer balanced flavors. The crêpe barrier is a classic French trick that ensures the pastry remains crisp. These Wellingtons can be assembled a few hours ahead and baked just before service, making them ideal for parties and holidays. Use a cornstarch roux to thicken your madeira sauce if desired and olive oil to avoid saturated fats.

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26/07/2024

Second edition is published. Please let me know if you purchased the First Edition. I want to give you the second edition on me, I made some edits on a few items that will make those recipes flow better, and now every recipe is on its own page. The thought in the first book was to keep costs down, but anyway you look at it, amazon takes me to the cleaners.

21/07/2024

Hey Ya'll. If you purchased What's Cookin' Honey let me know. I am releasing the second edition, and I want to give you a copy for the early support of the second edition. I would like to ask those that left reviews if you could duplicate the review on the Second Edition as I am giving you a copy. I basically changed the formatting and the size of the book so I could release on Walmart, with a few minor order changes in a few recipes. See below the new format.

12/07/2024

I'm at the final draft for the Second Edition of What's Cookin' Honey. I had to change the size to release the books to specific markets, such as Walmart.

The book is going from cut size 8.5x11 to cut size 8x10. Go figure, and at 8x10, I can go high-color? Did I tell yall publishers even self are such a complete rip off, they take 90%.

That being said, back to Dollar General, do you like the new cover vs. the old? It's the same book, just different size, some minor edits, and the new size which forced more pages, but the same content. If you already bought WCH1, I can email you the PDF for this new version if you like>?

04/07/2024

Book Cover for WCH 2

02/07/2024

So I teased ya'll with the re-do new Book Cover for What's Cookin' Honey and I am changing the formatting of the book only not the content. I really wanted the first book to just be very simple, but I like this formatting so much better when I started writing the second, so I am in the processing of re-doing the formatting in the first one as I dont want to carry the same formatting into the second of the series. Make sense?

Why am I redoing it? Well, apparently, KDP Publishing requires the book to be 8x10 instead of 8.5 x 11 for Expanded Distribution, which means I can also release the book on Walmart.

Don't worry if you already purchased the first book and want the new format. I will order the Author's proof and will update your book with a replacement at no charge.

So here is a little teaser of what the new formatting looks like in WCH1 its the opening recipe if you purchased the book...
Below is a teaser from WCH Re Deuce book 2; you can see the formatting changes there as well. Pic 2 The one with Spaghetti Squash in it is from WCH 1. The recipe is in WCH1 in the Risotto screenshot, but I added it to the next book with a slight twist and a total recipe format change. Looking for feedback, do you find this format easier to follow in the upcoming WCH Re-Deuce (book 2).

I mean what is life without Risotto?

Lastly, I would really appreciate it if you could please follow me on Amazon as an author and leave a review for me.

28/06/2024

How cool is this. My homeland!

27/06/2024

19/06/2024

Here is a snippit for yall to see the new format

19/06/2024

Exciting news. I have started writing more recipes and the next book What's Cookin' Honey Re Deuce. I am already at page 35, and I have barely dented what I want to share in the next journey. I have 37 recipe folders already chosen to develop, and some of you may have seen on my personal page, all of those dishes have already made the book. My goal in the next book is to have 150 recipes total, exploring some exotic cuisines as well. The next guide is not is designed much different from the first from a desktop publishing perspective, and will include fully garnished dishes for you to make your food beautiful

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11/06/2024

Well look what is starting. This took me a few years last time in the making, however, this one will go to market much quicker.

Tell me what you think of the new cover. I have thick skin, so you wont hurt my feelings. It is not close to publishing yet

07/05/2024

It's finally ready through all the publishing fun.

What's Cookin Honey is a culinary guide with creative dishes for the home chef or the chef-to-be. This low-sodium cookbook is a guide explaining culinary terms, creating base sauces, experimenting with new flavors for many, and a journey toward eating healthy with great-tasting food. This cookboo...