12 Smart & Savvy Days of Christmas - Day 7 - Guest Post from Erika Marks

Welcome, welcome! Today the lovely Erika Marks is stopping by and she's got a yummy eggnog recipe to share. Welcome Erika!

Day 1 |Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8

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Confessions of an Egg Nog Junkie

In our house, the holidays mean a lot of things—all good, all festive, and always, all delicious.

We are an unabashed family of foodies. My husband is a native New Orleanian and an amazing cook, and I am a native New Englander, who also is crazy for cooking—so when it comes time to ring in the holidays—from Thanksgiving to New Year’s—we do it up.

Over the years, lots of recipes have come and gone (don’t get me started on the icebox pie I finally tried for this year’s Thanksgiving that puddled as soon as I took off its spring-form fence) but there are few that are tried and true and that are always welcome at the table—or wherever you choose to consume edibles and drinkables. (Or, if you are Beck and Marley, the couple in my holiday novella A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS, who find themselves stranded together on Christmas Eve on a deserted island and forced to make a feast with just the contents of a welcome basket, then you make do!)

But in our house, at the top of this list of (adult) must-haves, would be Our Favorite Homemade Nog.

Now friends, I’m not talking about the store stuff—which is awesome in a pinch (and perfect for the kiddos!) And I’m not talking about the light recipes where you replace the heavy cream with skim milk. I’m talking the REAL DEAL. Because when the holidays call in our home, all bets are off. We say, go big or go home!

Like so many favored recipes, this one came from my mom, though I’m not sure where she got it from. So if you are so inclined to indulge—and why wouldn’t you at this time of year?—here is a quick run-down of what you will need:

6 eggs, separated (save the egg whites for later)

1 cup sugar

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup of brandy

¾ tsp salt

1. Separate 6 eggs (save the egg whites for later) and beat the yolks
2. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar
3. Gradually beat in: 3 cups of milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of brandy and 3/4 tsp salt
4. Beat egg whites until stiff; serve egg nog and top with a scoop of the egg whites, sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.

And viola! A cupful of bliss with a dollop of snowy egg whites to toast the season with. (And if you have leftovers—we rarely do!—but if you do, it can make for some amazing French toast batter for the grown-ups!)

Wishing you and yours a magical season of peace and joy—and much, much sweetness!

On the long and winding road to publishing, Erika Marks worked as an illustrator, an art director, a carpenter and a cake decorator. She now lives and writes in North Carolina with her family where she is currently working on her next coastal romance! To connect with her, you can find her at her website: http://www.erikamarksauthor.com/

Or on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/ErikaMarksAuthor

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Thank you, Erika, for stopping by. Erika is giving away a copy of the print anthology, A Carolina Christmas. To enter, comment below and tell me what your plans are for New Year's Eve.