Christmas movies and eggnog, the secret ingredient

I am an eggnog fan. Always have been. Over the decades I've seen a lot of eggnog flavored cookies, chocolate, coffee and wondered why? Part of the appeal of eggnog for me was the cool creamy taste. Not crumbly. Not overly sweet. Definitely NOT hot!

Egg nog used to be so special, punch bowl sets were made specifically for the opportunity to drink the nog!

Eggnog is my drink of choice while I watch the Alastair Sim version of The Christmas Carol. Love watching that movie, love drinking the 'nog. I drank so much eggnog most Christmas Eves that I was sick Christmas morning.

You can purchase the original black and white version of A Christmas Carol here. I hate when they colorize classic movies!

An upset tummy should have been a clue that eggnog is just a little bit rich. Cream, sugar,eggs, more cream. That stuff is thick. Even worse most brands, when I was growing up, had a lot of thickening gums like guar or carrageneen. They would coat the tongue like nothing else.  I blame that stuff for giving eggnog a bad rep or maybe it was the folks who made it from scratch and got salmonella because the eggs were uncooked!


But I discovered Organic Valley Eggnog this year and am in heaven. It's not gummy, overly sweet, lacking in nutmeg.  It is the best eggnog with organic ingredients that make it all that much more delicious. These aren't their recipes but the brand makes all the difference.

 But eggnog is a great ingredient in many different recipes because it is made with milk, cream, sugar and a dose of spices. Eggnog gives a richness to recipes or a holiday taste that is special.

Ah, such a pretty bowl of ice cream - with a bit of nutmeg on top!

 

Easy Egg Nog Ice Cream

One container Organic Valley egg nog.  Yes, that's it!

Throw it in your ice cream maker and in less than 20 minutes it is frozen enough to pack and cure for a few hours. 

That's it. So delicious. If you don't eat all of it right away, be sure to let it sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes to soften before eating.

Not if you aren't a winter ice cream person, there is always fudge. I had trouble finding recipes that did not have marshmallow cream (yep, made with corn syrup so it was a no go). But I did find a recipe that appealed to me even though it didn't use egg nog, just evoked the flavor.

To be truthful, I had a cream cheese recipe I had high hopes for.  But weather events intervened to make me choose!  Unseasonably warm and humid weather in this neck of the woods affected the cream cheese recipe and made it more like frosting! The simpler recipe did look like fudge. But nothing is going to waste. Just think of how the cream cheese frosting will taste on ginger bread or carrot cake. Or just try making it on a better weather day. Epic fails are what we do best here at Yankee Belle. 

So here is the recipe that works in crazy winter weather. (Thinking of all my friends affected by the snow, ice and power outages).  And remember, you can add nuts.


Microwave Eggnog Fudge Find the original recipe by Anne Colagioia and video here. I adapted it for the microwave as well as using one bag of chips and omitting the nuts. Most recipes use one bag or two cups.


Two cups white chocolate chips (usually one 11oz bag)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons cold butter
1 teaspoon vanilla or rum flavoring
Nutmeg to taste
Nuts, optional  

1. Microwave chips for one minute at 50 power to melt. Stir until melted. If not totally melted, microwave for intervals of 15 seconds. You may be able to microwave on high for one minute but I have developed hot spots so do a lower temp. Stir well so the chips break down and you don't get burn spots. If you know your microwave well, do as you would for melting regular chocolate chips.
2. Pour condensed milk over melted chips and stir.
3. Cut cold butter over mixture and microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir until butter is melted.
4. Add vanilla or rum flavoring and several shakes of nutmeg. Stir until blended.
5. Pour into a narrow loaf pan if you like the fudge think or an 8X8 if you like it not as high.  Less calories per piece too. If you add the nuts, it will be a thicker fudge cube.
6. Refrigerate until firm at least two hours.

My humble opinion? I liked that fudgy rich mouth feel. But you be the judge!

So, what is your favorite version of a Christmas Carol or do you have another favorite Christmas movie? Are you pro-egg nog or anti?  Do you have a favorite fudge base?