Welcome, welcome! Today the lovely Erika Marks is stopping by and she's got a yummy eggnog recipe to share. Welcome Erika!
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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 yolks2. 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.