Spiced Cider Mix, my favorite Hot Buttered Rum Mix and many other Holiday beverages and mixes.

There's something special about those favorite Holiday beverages that seem to only come out during the Fall and Winter. It evokes images of rainy fall days, a chill in the air, being snowed in and fires in the fireplace. They make you feel like wrapping up in a wool blanket and reading a good mystery novel. Here are some of my favorite Holiday beverages.

Spiced Cider Mix:

This recipe makes approximately 24 servings.

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C Vanilla Ice Cream, softened

2 TBS Butter, room temperature

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 Gallons of Apple Cider

Additional Cinnamon to garnish.

In a blender:

Brown Sugar

Ice Cream

Butter

Cinnamon

Blend well until smooth.

Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid.

Freeze for 3 hours.

Heat Cider in a large saucepan or small stockpot.

Ladle Cider into individual Mugs.

Top each mug with 1 TBS of the mix and stir until melted.
Sprinkle a bit of Cinnamon on top as a garnish.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Instant Mocha Mix:

3 C Hot Cocoa Powder (your choice)
1/2 C Instant Coffee
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
Miniature Marshmallows for garnish.

In a Jar with a Lid:
Cocoa Powder
Instant Coffee
Cinnamon
Whisk Well.

For each serving add 3 TBS of the mix to 2/3 C Boiling Water and top with marshmallows.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
1985, Bon Appetit Holiday Magazine ( Aunt Viv's Hot Buttered Rum)
I've made this recipe for Christmas every year since 1985!
No one said it was healthy, but it's certainly delicious!

Best of the Best!

Hot Buttered Rum
The following is the Original Recipe, at the end I posted a Larger Recipe.

The following recipe make 2 pints.
2 C Vanilla Ice Cream
1 1/3 C Powdered Sugar
1 1/3 C firmly packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 C (2 sticks) Butter, I cut it into TBS pieces.
Dark Rum
Boiling Water

In a Saucepan on Medium Heat:
Combine Ice Cream, Both Sugars and Butter.
Melt over Low Heat stirring constantly.
This is the Basic Batter.
Refrigerate until needed.
It also freezes well.

To make Individual Servings of the Hot Buttered Rum:
In a Mug: (it looks nice in a Glass Irish Coffee Mug)
Mix 3 TBS Batter
3 TBS Rum
Stir in 3/4 C Boiling Water

Here's a Larger Recipe:
The preparation is the same as the Original.

1 Pound of Butter
1 Pound of Powered Sugar
1 Pound of  Dark Brown Sugar
1 Quart of  Vanilla Ice Cream!


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

This makes a hot, instant, homemade Cappuccino drink.

2 C non dairy coffee creamer
1 C instant dry milk
1 1/2 TBS Chocolate Nesquik
2/3 C instant coffee ( I use Medaglia D'Oro instant espresso) ( Folger's or Nescafe)
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C Confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
a dash of vanilla

Mix all but the vanilla
Store in a sealed container

Use 3 rounded TBS of the mix per cup of hot water
Add a dash of Vanilla to each cup of Cappuccino.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


It's cold, rainy and dreary outside. We may even get sleet or ice. It's the perfect time for Hot Cocoa.
We always have home made hot cocoa in the pantry. Today my wife found these miniature marshmallows, perfect for a mug of Hot Cocoa. It's Hot Cocoa time!
Previously I posted a recipe for Home Made Hot Chocolate. I'll re post it at the end of this post. I also re posted my Home Made Cappuccino Drink.

Home Made Hot Chocolate:

3 C Whole Milk

3 C Half and Half

Heat to simmer

Add 2 C Chocolate Chips ( I prefer Ghirardelli)

Stir until the Chocolate melts

Add 2 TBS Vanilla

(if you want to kick it up a notch and make it Tex - Mex, add 1/8tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper)!

Serve Hot!

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

I've researched many recipes for Eggnog and the following is my favorite. I've made the most complicated recipes involving eggs that have to be beaten, egg whites that have to be folded into the mixture, recipes that include a French Vanilla Pudding mix, sweetened condensed milk etc.
I'm not opposed to tackling difficult or complicated recipes that are time consuming. I find some of them a challenge and I have created some original recipes that I don't expect others to make, however, I also appreciate some of the most simple, tried and true recipes, and this one is one of those!

I'm not sure why I called it "Texas" Eggnog, maybe it's the addition of whiskey!
But it's dang good!

Texas Holiday Eggnog:

1/2 gallon of the best darn good Eggnog Ice Cream  money can buy.
1 quart of whole milk
1 quart of the best darn good Eggnog money can buy.
1/2 pint Brandy
1/2 pint Dark West Indies Rum!
1/2 pint  Blended Whiskey, what ever you can find!
Freshly ground nutmeg for a garnish.

Soften the ice cream
Mix all of the ingredients by hand, in a large bowl.
Chill in the refrigerator.
Just before serving, sprinkle the top of the Eggnog with a good amount of nutmeg.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Merry Christmas Y'all!


This favorite Egg Nog Recipes comes from Southern Living Magazine.
We were editing our vast collection of magazines so I went through them and cut out my favorite recipes.

Egg Nog Coffee Punch:

1 Quart of Coffee Ice Cream
1 Quart of Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Quart of Egg Nog
2 C Hot Brewed Coffee
1/2 C Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1/2 C Bourbon

1 container of Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
Ground Nutmeg

Scoop all of the Ice Cream in a large Punch Bowl
Add Egg Nog, Coffee, Coffee Liqueur and Bourbon.
Stir until the Ice Cream just begins to melt.
Serve in mugs topped with thawed Whipped Topping and a sprinkle of ground Nutmeg.

Enjoy!
The Holidays!


Here's another Egg Nog recipe I found in a Holiday Southern Living Magazine.

2 C half and half
1 C whole milk
1 C apple cider
2 large eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C bourbon
1/2 C heavy cream, whipped

Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in a heavy saucepan
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally until mixture thickens and coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.
Stir in Bourbon

Ladle into mugs and top each serving with whipped cream.

Enjoy!
The Holidays!


Holiday Milk Punch with Brandy and Rum:

This recipe makes 1 serving.
2 tsp confectioner's sugar
2 tsp water
2 oz. brandy
1 oz. rum
1/4 C whole milk
2 TBS eggnog
Ice
Nutmeg

In a bowl:
sugar
water
Stir to dissolve sugar completely
Add:
brandy
rum

In a cocktail shaker :
Milk
eggnog
ice
Add:
Rum mixture
Shake and strain into an Irish Coffee Glass
Sprinkle with nutmeg

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Authentic Irish Whiskey:
This makes 1 serving.

Ingredients:

Hot teaspoon
1 measure or shot (2 ounces) Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons brown sugar
5 to 6 ounces freshly-brewed strong black coffee
2 teaspoons heavy or whipping cream, lightly whipped*

* The cream should be "half whipped - not too stiff and not too liquid)

Preparation:

Place a teaspoon in a bowl with hot water to heat; let sit until ready to use.

Preheat a stemmed whiskey goblet (7-ounce coffee cup or goblet may be substituted) with boiling water so that it is good and hot. Pour out the hot water and discard.

Add the brown sugar in the bottom of the goblet. Fill with strong black coffee to within 1 inch of the top; stir gently until sugar is dissolved. Add the Irish Whiskey; stir again and then let sit until the mixture is still.

Using the hot teaspoon, place the spoon (back side up) in the goblet. Gently pour the prepared whipped cream over the back of the teaspoon (held just above the coffee’s surface). Gradually raise the spoon as you slowly pour in the cream. This will result in a layer of liquid cream that floats on top of the coffee. Do not stir the cream in the coffee.

Drinking the coffee through the layer of cream results in the rich, authentic flavor that the coffee’s drinkers originally enjoyed. Do not stir. Irish coffee is best enjoyed by sipping the coffee through the cream.

Makes 1 serving.

Enjoy!
The Holidays!