Eggnog

Serves 12-16

If it does begin to curdle, remove from heat immediately and pour into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and proceed with recipe. Omit the brandy to make a non-alcoholic eggnog, but also decrease the cream to 1/4 cup. Add 1/4 c. with another 1/2 cup brandy.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar (
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups whole milk
• ½ cup brandy, bourbon, or dark rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, plus extra for garnish (used 1/4, was quite mild)
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Off heat, whisk eggs, yolks, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Stir in milk, one-half cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Heat slowly over lowest possible flame, stirring constantly, until custard registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. Pour custard through sieve into large bowl in case of curdles; stir in liquor, vanilla and grated nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least three hours and up to three days.

2. Just before serving, whip cream in medium bowl to very soft peaks and gently fold into custard mixture until incorporated. Serve in chilled punch bowl or cups, garnishing with optional grated nutmeg.

America's Test Kitchen Holiday Eggnog (Ep 2001) (wskg.org)

Almond Biscuits

I wish I could find the original source of this recipe, but I rewrote it, and now am copying it here for safe keeping.

Triple recipe makes 16:

Mix:

4 1/2 T melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 T honey
3/4 t. salt
4 1/2 T buttermilk (4 1/2 T milk +1/2 t. cream of tartar)

3 3/4 c. Almond flour
3/4 t. baking soda
heaped 1/4 t. baking powder

Form biscuits in hands. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread

• 6 cups blanched almond flour 224g, or unblanched super fine almond flour
• 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 sticks butter or coconut oil at room temperature
• 1 cup honey 113g
• 6 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 183g, not pumpkin pie filling
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans about 1 ounce
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins, about 1 ounce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Butter the ends and corners of 3 1-pound loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches). Line the bottom and long edges of the pan with a strip of parchment paper trimmed so the paper overhangs to form handles for removing the loaf.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat honey and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix just until combined, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients and pumpkin puree; mix just until combined. Add pecans and dried cranberries; mix just until combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.
• With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but clean (no wet crumbs). Tent with foil at 45-50 minutes to keep edges from getting too brown.
• Remove bread from oven and let cool in the pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and place back on cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve or for best results, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before slicing.