holiday recipe's - Egg Nog, Mulled Cider & Grape Spritzer

Homemade Eggnog

This is so simple to make from scratch -- and so much fresher tasting and satisfying when you do! At my local market, I buy Ronnybrook Farms brand milk and cream, which makes a huge difference with their thick texture and deep flavor. I even substitute skim milk for whole milk!

6 egg yolks
½ pound superfine Sugar
½ quart milk
½ quart heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground dry ginger
zest from ½ orange
½ quart rum (optional)

In a bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest. For best results, make the mix the day before and allow to "rest" overnight in the refrigerator. Strain before serving if you like a smoother texture.

Mulled Cider

A "straight" apple cider, labeled "sweet," is often made from mixed varieties of apples and sometimes enriched with crab apples, which offer an additional boost of pectin to thicken the cider and a tart flavor that makes it more refreshing to drink. "Hard" cider has been left to ferment and is considered an alcoholic beverage. For this recipe, I like a cloudy and murky sweet cider.

1 quart apple cider
10 whole cloves
5 large cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and pricked with a fork
zest from ½ lemon
1 apple, such as Macoun or McIntosh varieties, washed, cored, and diced

Heat the cider on the stove until hot but not boiling. Add all of the other ingredients (except the lemon zest) and stir to blend. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Remove the ginger (and whole spices, if desired). Add the lemon zest and diced apple. Serve immediately!

Quick Grape Spritzer

I get wonderful local grape juices at my market at the same stand where I buy my grapes. I especially like white grape juice for this recipe, but anything will work!

1 quart chilled grape juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups chilled seltzer or naturally sparkling water
24 to 30 grapes, stemmed, washed, and frozen

Mix the grape juice and honey together. Fill some glasses ¾ full with grape juice and top with the sparkling water. Drop a few grapes into each glass for a festive garnish that doubles as an ice cube!