Christmas Drinks For A Christmas Brunch
In our house, Christmas has a very morning focus and not just because of the gifts. There is plenty of eating! Spending Christmas morning opening gifts and eating Christmas-y brunch treats is good with me. In fact, I would be perfectly happy to forget about Christmas dinner and have the big meal of the day be a nice, simple brunch.
Part of any good brunch is the drinks and I admit that the Christmas drinks that appear are usually boozy. A good eggnog and some boozey coffee drinks are nice additions to a Christmas brunch.
Of course, one of the classic Christmas drinks is Egg Nog and there is always room for egg nog on the brunch table. It is so tasty and it can be made booze free. The recipe below is very easy to make and can even be made ahead.
Simplest Eggnog Ever
2015-12-09 09:37:25
Yields 5
A cooked egg nog with no egg separation.
Cook Time
10 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
336g
Yields
5
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439
Calories from Fat 218
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g
38%
Saturated Fat 14g
69%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 292mg
97%
Sodium 194mg
8%
Total Carbohydrates 32g
11%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 31g
Protein 15g
Vitamin A
24%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
30%
Iron
6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of cream
- 4 cups of milk
- 2 tsp of vanilla
- 1-1/2 tsp of nutmeg or to taste
- A bottle of brandy, rum or whisky
- 2 tsp rum flavor extract (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Float another smaller bowl in the larger one. This is an ice bath to cool the egg nog.
- In a bowl or pan that can be used as the top portion of a double boiler, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well mixed.
- Add the cream, milk, vanilla and nutmeg. Whisk the mixture until it is fully mixed.
- On the stove, fill a pot that can be used as the bottom portion of a double boiler with a few inches of water. The water should not touch the bottom of the vessel used as the top part of the double boiler. Bring the water to a simmer.
- When the water is simmering, place the top of the double boiler holding the eggnog mixture over the simmering water.
- Whisk the mixture constantly, heating it until reaches a minimum temperature of 160F as measured on an instant read thermometer or until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour the eggnog through a fine sieve over the bowl in the ice bath. Continue whisking until it is cool. Add the rum flavoring if desired.
- Remove the bowl from the ice bath. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate the eggnog until it is chilled.
- Serve the eggnog cold or at room temperature with or without the booze.
Notes
- A double boiler is not fully necessary, but it does help keep the heating of the egg nog slow and helps avoid over cooking.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Another drink I like to add to the buffet is espresso. Shots of espresso gussied up with cream and some liquor is a nice way to get that Christmas buzz on. These take very little time to make and can be made the day of the brunch. If I want it booze free, I make sure that I have a some flavoured syrups on hand to make them special.
Boozey Espresso Shots
2016-12-05 05:39:29
Serves 30
Easy coffee libations, perfect for a brunch
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
27g
Servings
30
Amount Per Serving
Calories 38
Calories from Fat 26
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3g
5%
Saturated Fat 2g
9%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 11mg
4%
Sodium 8mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 3g
1%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 2g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
0%
Calcium
2%
Iron
4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh espresso (15 shots)
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of booze - Amaretto or Mint Irish Creme, Creme de Menthe, or Chambord
- 5 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Put the coffee in a small pot with the sugar. Heat the coffee stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let cool.
- When the coffee is cool, mix the coffee, cream and booze in a large measuring cup.
- Pour the mixture into espresso cups.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- The Boozey Espresso Shots should be made the day of the party. Use a robust espresso so your guests have the buzz to make until midnight.
- You can get a can of whipped cream and your guests can make a pretty whipped cream dollop on top of them!
- Make a few different versions by varying the alcohol. If alcohol is not your thing, flavor it with vanilla (or other) extract to taste.
- TIP: Want to cheat? Brew up a good pot of coffee and put the cream, sugar and booze out for your guests to partake in as they wish.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
Horchata
2016-12-05 05:58:57
Yields 6
A very simple horchata recipe
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
272g
Yields
6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 192
Calories from Fat 30
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g
6%
Saturated Fat 2g
10%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 13mg
4%
Sodium 275mg
11%
Total Carbohydrates 32g
11%
Dietary Fiber 0g
1%
Sugars 19g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A
6%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
28%
Iron
1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white rice
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 cup of water
- 4 cups of milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Combine the uncooked rice, almond milk, water, cinnamon, salt, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan and heat over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Once the rice is done, take the mixture off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add the rice mixture (sans the cinnamon sticks) to a blender or food processor. Add in the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth(ish). You can leave in a little bit of texture, depending on how you prefer to drink your horchata. Refrigerate the mixture until it’s chilled and serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.
The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/
