Happy New Year!

My blog assistant and I would like to wish everyone a "Happy New Year" and the best for 2015.  Thank you for following my food blog and We'll see you next Tuesday after the holidays.  We have some good information and tasty recipes planned for the coming year.  So please share the link on your FB page for us.  Thank you.

Homemade Tom & Jerry Punch

Homemade Tom & Jerry Punch

(10 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 large Fresh Eggs, separated & room temperature

2/3 cup Sugar

4 tsp. Blackstrap Rum (see note)

3/8 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp. Ground Allspice

pinch Cream of Tartar

2 cups Cognac

5 tbsp. Rum

3cups Hot Milk

3 cups Hot Water

as needed Freshly Grated Cinnamon & Nutmeg, for garnish

Directions:

We need to first make the batter.  For this place the egg yolks, sugar, rum, cinnamon and allspice in a medium bowl.  Whisk the mixture until lightened in color and fluffy.  Set aside.  In another medium bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar.  Beat to stiff peaks using an electric mixer.  Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until just combined.  Add the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in until just combined and no white steaks remain.  When ready to make and serve punch, place batter in a 3 quart punch bowl.  Carefully pour in the Cognac and rum and stir gently to combine (do not deflate the batter).  Next, slowly pour in milk and water.  Again stirring gently to combine.  Garnish punch with the cinnamon and nutmeg and serve.

Note:               If you can’t find Blackstrap Rum, then

                        just use dark rum.

Note:               If you want to make these by the drink, then do the following.  For one drink, pour 1½ oz. of batter in a heated mug.  To this add 1½ oz. of Cognac and a fourth oz. of rum.  Gently combine and then add 2 oz. of hot milk and 2 oz. of hot water.  Stir this gently and garnish with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Homemade Eggnog with Alcohol

Homemade Eggnog with Alcohol

(2 quarts)

 

Ingredients:

6 large Fresh Eggs

1 cup Sugar

½ tsp. Vanilla

¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg (see note)

2 cups Heavy Cream

2 cups Milk
3/4 cup Brandy
1/3 cup Bourbon (see note)

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed with an electric mixer until very frothy.  Gradually add the sugar, vanilla and nutmeg as you continue beating until well mixed.  Now using a rubber spatula, stir in the heavy cream, milk, brandy and bourbon.  Refrigerate the mixture until ready to serve.  Then top each serving with a little nutmeg and a cinnamon stick (optional).  Best to keep mixture cold by returning to refrigerator or putting on ice.

Note:               It also helps to have all the ingredients chilled before starting the making of the recipe.

Note:               You could use Dark Rum in place of the bourbon.  The alcohol can vary to your own personal tastes.

Note:               Ground nutmeg works in this recipe but it is better if you can grate fresh nutmeg for both in and on this drink.

Note:               Lastly, if you don’t use alcohol, just omit it from the recipe.  If you still want a little hit of it, use a small amount of rum flavoring.  It is alcohol free.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Traditional Holiday Drinks

Christmas Office Party with Blog Assistant

Just wanted to show everyone a photo from our office "Holiday" party.  As you can see, my stocking is full.  My blog assistant is having a great time in the stocking too.  I hope your blessings are as great as mine during this beautiful season of the year.

Holiday season in December and the starting of a new year bring on a desire for that perfect beverage.  There are many great drinks or punches for this time of year.  The winter weather (northern hemisphere) helps in narrowing that drink down too.

This week I have two staples to try this season.  The first is for a classic "Eggnog" drink.  The recipe tomorrow has alcohol in it but it is as satisfying a drink even without it.  The recipe does make the eggnog from scratch.  But there is nothing wrong with using a store purchased container from the dairy isle.

Brandy and bourbon are the two alcoholic beverages used in the recipe.  But each to their own as rum and Irish cream work well too.  Do a little experimenting to see what combination (or single item) treats your taste buds best.  Just be sure not to be driving anywhere after the experimenting.

Thursday's recipe is for a traditional "Tom & Jerry" which is a warm beverage.  I believe it originated in the Midwest (USA).  If not, it became a very popular drink in the Midwest.  This drink combines Cognac and rum to give it a kick.

I've chosen to make both of these recipes as a large mixture instead of as an individual drink.  They could be made as individual drinks but that just pulls someone away from the party to be constantly working the bar.  It makes for a better party to let guests pour their own from pitchers or warm dispensers.

Thursday is Christmas (a holiday I celebrate) and my wish to everyone checking out my food blog is a "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" to all.  I am grateful for your support and will continue to try and provide helpful information and great tasting recipes for you to try.

As I will be doing some celebrating this coming week, there will be no blog posts next week.  My posts will start again on January 6, 2015.  Until then, "Happy Cooking" and please help spread my food blog to others.

Stuffed French Toast (Peaches & Cream)

Stuffed French Toast (Peaches & Cream)

(4 servings)

 

Ingredients:

1 loaf French Bread

6 tbsp. Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 (oz.) package Frozen Sliced Peaches, thawed

1 cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Pure Maple Syrup

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

8 large Fresh Eggs

2 cups Milk

2 tsp. Vanilla

As needed Ground Cinnamon

As needed Powdered Sugar

As needed Pure Maple Syrup (for topping)

Directions:

Make this the night before needing it for breakfast.  Slice loaf of bread in 1-inch slices to get 8 pieces.  Divide the cream cheese and spread on 4 of the slices.  Next divide the peaches to cover the cream cheese.  Top the 4 finished slices with remaining slices and set aside.  Combine brown sugar, syrup and butter in a small bowl and then spread over bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk and vanilla with a whisk.  Take finished cheese/peach sandwiches and dip in this batter.  Place the dipped sandwiches in the 9x13 dish.  Pour remaining egg mixture over the sandwiches and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, place covered baking dish in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking for about another 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve immediately after sprinkling each with powdered sugar.  Have pure maple syrup available for topping.

Note:               You could use fresh ripe peaches in season.  May want to try other fruit either frozen or fresh in this dish too.  Sliced strawberries would be good.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Bacon Waffles

Bacon Waffles

(5 waffles)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Salt

4 tsp. Baking Powder

2 tbsp. Sugar

2 large Fresh Eggs

1½ cups Warm Milk

1/3 cup Bacon Grease (see note)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 lb. Cooked Bacon, chopped (see note)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, bacon grease and vanilla.  Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture and combine.  Don’t over mix.  Using a Belgium Waffle Maker, per-heat according to product directions.  Spray waffle plates with can spray and fill with a heavy half cup of batter.  Continue according the product directions for cooking.  Remove and repeat until you have used all of the batter.  Heat oven to 200 degrees and use to hold waffles as you continue cooking them.

Note:               Use the bacon grease you get from cooking the bacon needed for this recipe.  If you come up a little short on amount, use melted butter to get full measurement needed.

Note:               To cook bacon, place slices on a sheet pan/rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper between pan and bacon.  Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until you get desired doneness.  Remove bacon from pan to a paper towel covered plate or platter.  Pour off bacon grease to use in waffle recipe.  The parchment paper helps on clean-up of pan but does absorb some of the grease.  You could put bacon on a rack in the pan and then get more bacon grease out of the process.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Breakfast Treats for the Holidays

The holidays are as much about food as they are gifts to give and receive.  I've always been a fan of "Breakfast" and/or "Brunch" foods served anytime of the day.  The evening meal is probably the best time because you're not in as much of a hurry as you are in the morning.  This has been mentioned by me several times before in my cookbook and on this food blog.

I'm mentioning it again because at this time of the year many of us go home to family or have family come home to us.  It's that end of December holidays and New Year celebrating that brings us all together.

Well, having a crowd around that you may not see often enough makes you want to do or offer something special.  Which brings us back to food.  Where better to catch-up and converse but at the dining table.  So let's make a few dishes that are not your everyday foods.  Or maybe just jacked-up a little more than usual.

If you have a waffle maker, I have a tasty treat for you to try on the guests.  Since just about everyone loves bacon, I have "Bacon Waffles" that will be fondly remember in future get-togethers.  This recipe will be on Wednesday's post.

Another breakfast dish everyone likes is French Toast.  Thursday's post will take it up a notch with "Stuffed French Toast (Peaches & Cream)" recipe.  You can use frozen peaches if fresh ones are not is season.  Either way it will be a big hit for you.

Both of these recipes are great with just syrup.  But if you are going to make such fabulous food, please make sure you use "Real" 100% Maple Syrup.  Don't use the cheap stuff.  Also, take the time to heat the syrup a little.  Warm syrup on waffles or French toast is hard to beat.

If you are one that makes jellies or jams (or receives them this time of year), you might want to put some out on the table.  Any flavor of a homemade jelly or jam will go well with both dishes.

Be sure to check the "Recipe Tabs" above to find other terrific breakfast/brunch recipes to serve family and friends this holiday season.  "Happy Cooking" until next week and "Best Wishes" to everyone for this holiday season.