Posts from the ‘Desserts’ Category

Apr 1

Lemon Posset, A Vanilla Shortage And Fiesta Friday

Last night I had company for dinner, I’ve known about this for a while and had grand plans to make a lovely meal but unfortunately, I have been sick for the last few days, a stomach virus. I haven’t eaten much of anything and generally felt really bad. I was not really inspired to cook. I opted for a starter salad, simple roasted chicken with roasted vegetables, let the oven do the work I say. My plan was to make a lemon meringue tart but I didn’t have the energy so I remembered this quick and easy recipe by Mrs. Larkin on Food52 for lemon posset. A magical concoction, tart and sweet and creamy and a lovely light dessert. It couldn’t be simpler to make and most of the time it’s sitting in the fridge setting.

vanilla

I have been stocking up on vanilla extract. Have you noticed rising prices? Evidently there was a bad crop in Madagascar which basically decimated the entire vanilla crop leaving a huge shortage, there is always high demand for vanilla, it’s in almost everything. This has caused prices to rise, I went to several sites and noticed a price change of anwhere from 2-10 dollar price increase per bottle. I usually use Nielsen- Massey, it’s my vanilla of choice but have been know to use the big bottle from Costco which is good as well as King Arthurs brand of vanilla extract. So I found the 4 oz bottle at the same price at my usual shopping site and bought 4 bottles which should last until the next crop which they are saying should be ok.

This Fiesta Friday which by the way is #113 I am bringing Lemon Posset and a bottle of vanilla extract as a hostess gift for Angie. Our lovely co hosts this week are two of my favorite bloggers welcome Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Laurie @ ten.times.tea.

Lemon Posset

Serves 4 – Recipe by Liz Larkin for Food52

2 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

5 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

zest of 1 whole lemon (I added that it’s not in the recipe)

Place cream and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Let boil for 5 minutes watching carefully and adjusting temperature so it doesn’t boil over. After 5 minutes remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and zest. Let sit for about 15 minutes to cool. Pour into serving dishes, sprinkle top with a little more lemon zest and refrigerate at least 4 hours, I like overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, I put a few raspberries on top as well.

Mar 27

105 Comments

Happy Easter Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes ever. Nothing fancy, yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I don’t know what it is about the combination but I love it. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate cake with white frosting are both divine. This cake recipe is one my Mother developed for me when I was just a little girl. I have made a couple of very minor changes but really it is exactly as my Mom wrote it. I remember this cake in several variations growing up, my favorite and most requested was Boston Cream Pie. The cake does not contain butter but vegetable oil and the eggs are separated and the whites beat until billowy and folded into the batter. The resululting cake is moist and flavorful and very very light. Because I was not using a fruit filling for this cake I gave it a little bit of soaking syrup before frosting, I made a tangerine simple syrup and dabbed it on each layer.

The frosting is a variation of a recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Chef Amy@Come Cook With Me a I hope everyone is having a great day, spending time with friends and family a very Happy Easter to all from Percy and me!!

Tender Yellow Cake

Makes two 9 inch layers or 24 cupcakes

3 large eggs separated and at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar divided
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1 tbs vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 cup whole milk (1 or 2% work also)
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Line your pans with a parchment round, butter the bottom of the pan, lay the parchment then butter again on bottom and sides and then flour the pans.

Beat egg whites until frothy then add 1/2 cup of the sugar (reserving the rest) a tablespoon at a time until egg whites are stiff and glossy

Sift flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. If using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment.I actually prefer to use my hand held mixer for this recipe. Add the oil, the milk, the egg yolk and the vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, mixture will be quite thick. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans dividing evenly, bake for 30-35 minutes. Cake will be golden brown. Be careful not to overbake start checking the cake at 30 minutes. Cake tester will come out clean.

Note: I made 3 8 inch layers baking time is approximately 25 minutes.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack remove parchment and cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

8 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature

8 oz mascarpone softened to room temperature

8 oz unsalted butter softened to room temperature

6 oz dark chocolate melted

3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

3 -3 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter, mascarpone and cream cheese until light and fluffy, add the confectioners sugar a cup at a time beating betweeen each addition. Add the melted chocolate and cocoa powder and vanilla and whip until completely incorporated. Frost the cake immediately.

Happy Easter from Percy and me!

Mar 20

147 Comments

Happy First Day Of Spring An Angel Food Cake To Celebrate

Angel Food Cake

It’s the first day of Spring and guess what, in NYC we are waiting for a snow storm, kind of dismal so to cheer myself up I made an Angel Food Cake, which is one of my all time favorites, I love how light it is, that it’s fat free and so moist. I usually serve it simply with berries and whipped cream or if I make cupcakes I will sometimes frost with a chocolate swiss meringue buttercream. This cake is perfect for spring and summer when berries are in season and plentiful. It’s a little early for berries at the farmers market but the berries I got in the supermarket weren’t bad. I have been making this cake recipe for years, It’s from James McNair’s “Cakes”. I love his cookbook the angel food and chiffon cakes are the best and always consistently good. I made a raspberry whipped cream frosting and decorated with fresh berries.

I am bringing this cake to Fiesta Friday #111 this week. A super light cake with loads of assorted berries and gently sweetened whipped cream makes a lovely dessert. This week Angies wonderful co hosts are Naina @ Spice in the City and Julianna @ Foodie On Board.

Angel Food Cake

Recipe by James McNair from his book “Cakes”

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups egg whites at room temperature (approximately 16 large eggs)

2 tsp cream of tartar

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. No need to prep your pan all you need is a 10 inch tube pan with removable bottom and feet (so you can invert while cake cools). Sift flour, salt, and 3/4 cup sugar and set aside. In stand mixer with whisk attachment start whipping the egg whites, when they are frothy add the cream of tartar increase speed to medium high and whip until the egg whites are billowy and form soft peaks. Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar a little at a time (about a tbs) whip until the egg whites form stiff peaks being careful not to overwhip. It takes about 5-6 minutes, now add the lemon zest and vanilla. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the dry ingredients with either a spatula or balloon whisk in 3 increments making sure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Spoon into tube pan, smooth the top and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Cake will be golden brown and springy when touched.

Invert cake pan so it is standing on the feet, if your tube pan does not have feet you can invert onto a wine bottle. Let cool completely approximately 1 1/2 -2 hours. To remove cake run flexible offset spatula around the edge of the pan and around the tube. Gently remove the cake by pushing the tube part. When the cake is out of the pan you can free it from the tub by running a spatula or butter knife along the bottom of the tube, the cake will come off and you can place on serving dish.

Frosted Cake

Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting

2 cups heavy cream very cold and divided

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp corn starch

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 pint fresh raspberries mashed.

Place 1/2 cup of the heavy cream in a small saucepan, add the cornstarch and powdered sugar and whisk so there are no lumps. On medium heat stirring constantly stir or whisk the cream mixture until it thickens, it is like pudding, spoon into a bowl and let cool to room temperature stirring occasionally.

While the stabilizer is cooling place whisk attachment and bowl of mixer in the freezer to get cold. When it’s sufficiently cold add the cold cream, stabilizer, and the vanilla. Whip until thick and spreading consistency. Gently fold in the raspberries and frost the cake immediately.

Mar 15

98 Comments

A Pi Day Surprise

Yesterday was Pi Day, to celebrate Pi we cooks and food lovers take just a little liberty and make it all about Pie. Now I just love pies, fruit pies, cream pies, tarts, galettes, savory tarts and pies. They are all good. I love making pastry crust, I always have frozen pie dough in the freezer in case I need it.

I was busy, lots going on with work. I didn’t check my spam folder as I normally do every day until later in the afternoon and when I did I saw an email from Kate at Food52, she wondered if I would be home today between 1-5PM, they wanted to deliver a surprise. Honestly, I was flabbergasted and intrigued. I love surprises and rarely get one. At 5PM on the dot one of the Food 52 staff hand delivered this pie in this amazing pie box (which I have been meaning to order and now I need to get another one or 2), how cool is that? It made me feel really really good, they thanked me for being a long time member, it made me feel so special. Thank you Food52 for making my day!! Oh and I can’t forget to mention the pie was a salted honey pie, with an amazing flaky buttery crust. SO DELICIOUS!! I ate way too much pie!!

Pi Day Surprise

I also want to update everyone on sweet Percy, he is doing really really good. He was a little under the weather yesterday, I think it was the rain and cool temps but today he is doing great. He is very happy in Brooklyn and has adjusted to his new life, made lots of doggie friends and is getting to know his neighborhood.

Rolling in the grass

Handsome boy

Mar 5

126 Comments

Chocolate Madeleines

I’ve posted this recipe before, it’s so good it’s worth posting again. The recipe comes from Gale Gand. I love her and have been watching her show, buying her cookbooks and following her recipes for years. The only thing I haven’t done is go to her restaurant in Chicago, Tru, it’s on my bucket list and one day I will.

These madelienes are very simple and always turn out great. I saw her once making these on Martha Stewarts show and she was agast that Gale would add baking powder to madeleines. Gale explained that because of the cocoa being heavy you need a little extra lift and it makes sense. Gale also lightly browns the butter and sieves out the solids for this recipe, it makes a difference trust me.

I made these for several reasons, they are simple and delicious, I just got this oh so pretty madeliene pan at Williams Sonoma and I am bringing these little treats with me Fiesta Friday #109. I had so much fun co hosting last week and this week our lovely co hosts are Josette @ thebrookcook and Lily @ little sweet baker.

Pretty shell pattern

Chocolate Madeleines

A recipe by Gale Gand – Makes 2 dozen

1/2 cup, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, for buttering madeleine molds
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush madeleine pans well with 4 tablespoons softened butter; refrigerate 5 minutes.
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter turns golden brown, being careful not to let the butter burn. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip eggs with granulated and brown sugars until light and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir on low speed until combined. Add vanilla and reserved browned butter; mix just until blended.
Insert a 1/2-inch plain tip into a pastry bag and fill with batter. Pipe mounds of batter into prepared pans until each mold is full, mounding batter in the center of the molds but not filling to the edge. Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon to fill the molds with batter (which is what I did). Bake until madeleines are firm and a little mound is puffed up in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Madeleines are best eaten the same day they are baked.

Light and elegant

Feb 9

102 Comments

Guest Post- Three Little Halves Meyer Lemon, Cornmeal And Olive Oil Cake With Rosemary Glaze

I am honored to know and call Aleksandra a friend, she is the author of the gorgeous blog Three Little Halves. I met her several years ago on Food52 and was immediately mesmerized by her delicious recipes and then I saw her blog and was literally blown away with the beauty and artistry of her photographs and illustrations, her writing is lyrical and engaging and speaks of family and history and travel and her recipes are delicious and creative and literally make you want to make them immediately. Read a little about her accomplishments, she is a James Beard Foundation nominee, her blog was a finalist for Savueur Magazines Blog awards, her blog is named as one of the top 100 for 2015 by Inspired. She has also won many contests on Food52 and has numerous Wildcard Wins and Community Picks. Oh, yes, I also should add that she is a brilliant Scientist by avocation. This uber talented and accomplished woman is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and before I introduce Aleksandra, Queen Sashy, I want to thank her for being so kind and I am humbled and grateful for her friendship and support. I also want to thank her for making this cake, a nod to my recipe, which she made her own and took to another level with her wonderful additions and photographs.

Everyone meet Aleksandra..

It gives me a great pleasure to contribute this post to Suzanne’s blog…

Four years ago, I stumbled upon a gorgeous photo of plum and mozzarella salad on Pinterest, or maybe it was on Facebook, I do not quite remember anymore. It took me to a place called Food52 – an awesome little corner of the Internet where home cooks got together to exchange recipes, chit-chat, ask questions, debate and learn. And compete — that’s the part they all liked a lot! I joined and Food52 became my virtual playground, a kitchen family so to speak. As it happens most of the time in the world of the World Wide Web, one does not get to see one’s cyberspace buddies, just their avatars — oftentimes their pets or plants they like to grow — and one gets to know them by their semi-real names (meet emilyC and drbabs), the causes they champion (hello healthierkitchen and Greenstuff), their favorite foods (nice to meet you Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast, sexyLAMBCHOPx and gingeroot), or what they excel at (yup, that’s boulangere). I often catch myself trying to imagine how my kitchen comrades look, wondering who they are in real life, what they do, or what kind of person they might be. Sometimes, their comments and answers on the hotline add a trickle of information. Some folks are chatty, some are serious and to the point. There are the funny ones, the polite ones and the fact checkers. Those who like to brag a little, and those who know what they are talking about. The opinionated, the passionate, the informed… And the ones with a big heart. That’s about the first thing that comes to mind when you meet sdebrango on Food52. The ones with a really, really, really BIG heart. That’s about the first thing that comes to mind when you meet Suzanne in real life.

Suzanne does not brag and it might take a thing or two — a glimpse at her profile, a walk through her recipes, a tour of her blog — to realize what an extraordinary cook she is. She is the kind of cook you trust, the kind of cook you would like to have cooking for you every single day. Suzanne’s recipes are about honoring good food and good ingredients, and about feeling good. I had the privilege to cook for Suzanne when she organized Food52 potlucks in her Brooklyn home — it’s a privilege and responsibility, because you know you are cooking for a mighty good cook. Writing a guest post for Suzanne’s blog kind of makes you feel the same, and when she asked me to contribute, I caught myself wondering. What to cook? Which recipe to share? One of my favorite Food52 recipes is Suzanne’s citrus and semolina olive oil cake; it’s a poor man’s dessert one might find somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, a simple thing, yet a slice of it feels like a piece of sunshine on the plate. I made the cake many times, citruses and olive oil are a combination I love, so perhaps, I thought, a tiny tribute to it, an homage so to say, would be a way to give back and honor a great recipe, a magnificent cook, and most of all, a wonderful person.

Meyer Lemon, Cornmeal and Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary Glaze

This cake will really benefit from a good olive oil and Meyer lemons. Needles to say, when Meyers are not in season, you can always use plain good old lemons. I also like to play with different combinations of citruses and herbs, such as grapefruit and mint, lime and lemon thyme, and orange and lemon verbena.

for the cake

* 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal flour (I used Bob Red Mills)
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp kosher salt

* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
* 3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* zest of two Meyer lemons
* 3/4 cup lemon juice (juice of two Meyer lemons)

* a little bit of butter and extra flour for greasing and flouring the pan

for the glaze

* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup water
* 3-4 sprigs of rosemary

hardware

* 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Heat the oven to 325F convection (350F regular).

In a bowl mix together all purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs gently.

In a large bowl mix yogurt, olive oil, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the eggs to the yogurt mixture and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the mixture, and stir gently, until fully combined. Be careful not to overwork the batter.

Grease and flour the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until cake is golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, and then take it out and place on a serving plate.

While the cake is in the oven, make the glaze. Combine water, sugar and rosemary in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and let it stand, covered, for about 30 minutes to an hour.

While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze all over it. Wait for a while until the cake absorbs the syrup and repeat once more. (You will have some extra syrup left.) Serve the cake warm, at room temperature or cold, with the remaining syrup on the side.

Feb 7

145 Comments

Lamb Pot Pie With Saffron Pastry

Jan 20

155 Comments

Chocolate Orange Cream Tart

The lastest contest at Food52 is all about tarts, Your Best Tart to be exact, I have to say that making pies and tarts is something I love doing, I put my thinking cap on because I wanted to come up with a recipe that was a little different and creative. Buttery pastry with an assortment of fillings whether sweet or savory is comfort food at it’s best IMHO. I was already in the cream or curd mode after making the scones so I whipped up another batch just using oranges and tangerines, it has substance from the addition of cream cheese which give a little tang also, the crust is adapted from Martha Stewarts recipe for Pate Sucré. The combination of chocolate and orange has always been one of my all time favorite flavor combinations so I covered the orange cream with a ganache gently flavored with orange thanks to the addition of Grand Marnier. A simple whipped cream garnish and some candied orange zest make this a lovely dessert.

I know I posted this already but I decided to bring my little tarts to the party, Fiesta Friday #103 the big event Angie is hosting and her lovely co hosts this week are two of my all time favorites Your co-hosts this week are Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Petra @ Food Eat Love. YAY!!!

Makes 9 inch tart or 6 tartlets
Pate Sucré
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
3 egg yolks from large eggs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Orange Cream
6 egg yolks from large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice
4 teaspoons orange zest divided
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 tablespoons cream cheese softened
Ganache
4 ounces dark chocolate
4 ounces milk chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or orange liquor
Tart Crust-Put the flour, salt and sugar in the food processor, pulse to combine, add the butter and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and cream and pulse until the dough comes together, it will be shaggy but thats ok, test it by pinching a piece and if it holds together it’s fine. Divide in two, press into disks and refrigerate for an hour. Pre heat the oven to 375, line tart pan or tartlet pans, prick with fork and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Place a piece of parchment in the tart pan or pans and pour in pie weights or beans. Bake 20 minutes remove the parchment and weights and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on rack.
Orange Cream-Zest the fruit and juice and set aside. In mixing bowl add the egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat with hand held mixer until creamy and light. Whisk in the juice and 2 tsp of zest and pour into sauce pan. Cook at medium low heat stirring constantly until the sugar has melted and it’s hot to the touch. Now add the butter one piece at a time stirring constantly until the butter is melted. Place thermometer in and continue cooking until it reaches a temperature of 175 degrees. Remove from heat. Pour through a sieve into a bowl or large measuring cup, add 1 tsp of orange zest stir to combine and cover with plastic that sits directly on top of the curd, allow to come to room temperature then refrigerate overnight. Pour the chilled curd in the blender with the cream cheese and the rest of the orange zest and blend until thick and creamy. Spoon into container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Ganache-Heat the cream to scalding, chop the chocolate and place in mixing bowl, pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, add the liquor and stir. Let the ganache come to room temperature stirring frequently. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to thicken a bit you want the ganache to be thick but still pourable.

Assembling and serving:
tart shell or shells
Ganache
orange cream
whipped cream and orange zest to garnish
Spoon the chilled orange cream into the tart shell filling the shell halfway. Pour the ganache on top of the orange cream and return to the refrigerator where it needs to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some candied orange zest.

Jan 11

141 Comments

My Very First Post- A Mixed Citrus Curd

This week I am taking you all on a little trip down memory lane, I am re visiting a few of my first posts. I actually posted twice on that first day. The first a mere paragraph saying I had no idea what I was doing and would try to get this blog up and running. It is embarrassing a little to read it but also saddens me because my pugs were alive when I started this blog. When I figured it out I posted this recipe which I had already posted on Food52 for mixed citrus curd. I have not made this recipe since I first posted it in January 2012 and I am using tangerines, cara cara oranges and lemon. This would be good with any citrus you like, the flavor of the mixture of different types is delicious.

I was so nervous starting this blog, what if no one likes me or my recipes or ever even stops by was probably my biggest fear. I posted for the first time on Jan, 14 but the truth is I had the posts sitting in draft for about a week before I got up the courage to hit the publish button.

This is a very nice curd but I prefer the recipe from Tartine, the method is different you process or blend in the cold butter and get a thick, buttery, creamy curd that you can use immediately. Even sitting overnight this curd is not thick enough in my opinion to use as a filling for cake or a tart. When using this curd I would whip some cream cheese into it to stiffen it a bit and add some additional zest from an orange.

Mixed Citrus Curd photo from 2012

Mixed Citrus Curd

Makes 3 cups of curd

1 heaping tbs mixed zest from the fruits

1/2 cup mixed citrus juice (juice from each fruit mixed to yield the needed amount) I used the juice of 1 lemon, 2 small tangerine and 1 cara cara orange.

6 large or extra large egg yolks

4 oz cold unsalted butter cut into pieces (1 stick)

1 1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1-2 tsp orange zest (added after its cooked)

Instructions:

Zest the fruit and set aside a heaping tbs of mixed zest, juice the fruit mix together and set aside 1/2 cup. In mixing bowl add the egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat with hand held mixer until creamy and light. Whisk in the juice and zest and pour into sauce pan. Cook at medium low heat stirring constantly until the sugar has melted and it’s hot to the touch. Now add the butter one piece at a time stirring constantly until the butter is melted. Place thermometer in and continue cooking until it reaches a temperature of 175 degrees. Remove from heat.

Pour through a sieve into a bowl or large measuring cup, add the orange zest stir to combine and cover with plastic that sits directly on top of the curd, allow to come to room temperature then refrigerate overnight.

Jan 3

115 Comments

Eggnog

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all had a great day. We are winding down our 2 week long bash at Fiesta Friday but the party is still going strong. The delicious food keeps pouring in, It has been so much fun co hosting the party with my good friends Judi, Mollie, Steffi, and of course our dear host Angie who has been tirelessly throwing this party every week for 2 years. This very special 100th Fiesta Friday has been a blast, the holidays are now a thing of the past but I want to contribute one more recipe, it’s something I make every year and for me it’s a New Years tradition. I have published this recipe before but it’s worth doing again simply because it’s delicious and just screams holiday!!

Eggnog

Makes 1 quart eggnog base

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

6-8 egg yolks (I use 8)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Place egg yolks and sugar in mixing bowl and either whisk or use electric mixer to combine the yolks and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Place milk and cream on stove and heat until scalding (not boiling) add half the hot milk/cream to egg yolks whisking constantly. Pour back into pan with the remaining milk, cook on medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. You are making a custard, check frequently when the custard starts to thicken by dipping the spoon in the custard, swipe a line on the back of the spoon and if it stays intact the custard is done. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and transfer to a heat proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, it should sit directly on the custard and refrigerate at least 4 hours preferably overnight.

Making the eggnog

1 quart egg nog base

1 pint vanilla or eggnog ice cream (optional)

1 cup heavy cream whipped

fresh nutmeg grated

rum extract to taste

To make boozy egg nog omit rum extract and add rum or I like to add rum and cognac or brandy. You decide how much, I like to add 1/4 cup rum and 1/4 cup brandy.

Pour the eggnog base into serving container, whip the cream adding just a little sugar. Soften your ice cream and add in scoops to the eggnog, let it melt, it’s ok. Top with whipped cream and generous grating of nutmeg. If you don’t use ice cream divide the whipped cream and fold half into the eggnog base and top with the other half.