Eggnog and Alegria

Thanksgiving is over, holiday decorations are going up all over town, radio stations are playing Christmas music, there is a nip in the air, and a light dusting of snow on the ground.  All signs indicate that the holiday season is upon us and I am loving every minute of it.  I enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the holidays so much that we begin celebrating Christmas as soon as our Thanksgiving feast is over.  On the day before Thanksgiving when we stop by our local forest ranger station to pick up a $5 permit to cut down a Christmas tree.  Then, after we have made ourselves uncomfortably full with turkey and dressing, we bundle up and wander through the Green Mountain National Forest and pick out the perfect Christmas tree.  

walking along a forest road in search of the perfect tree

The permit

This one!

Decorating the tree just isn't as fun without some eggnog.  My friend, Dani,  recently told me how easy and delicious it was to make your own eggnog at home, so I decided to give it a try.  We finally have plenty of eggs now that the chickens are all laying again, so I got out the milk, cream, vanilla and spices; cranked up the Christmas music; and got to work.  Dani warned me that after tasting this egg nog, I might never buy prepared eggnog again.  I think she might be right.  

Eggnog

4 cups milk

5 whole cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

12 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of rum (optional)

4 cups cream (or half and half for a slightly lighter version)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine the milk, cloves, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and cinnamon in a sauce pan.  Heat over low for 5-8 minutes allowing it to come slowly to a very light boil being careful to not scorch the milk.  A double boiler helps, but isn't necessary.  In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat until fluffy.  Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the eggs.  Return this mixture to the pan or double boiler and heat gently for 3 minutes on the lowest heat setting, stirring constantly until it thickens.  Do not let it come to a boil.  Pour it into a jar and allow it to cool.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. Next, add the rum (if using), the cream, 2 tsp. of vanilla, and the nutmeg.  Strain out the whole cloves and refrigerate overnight before serving, if you can stand to wait that long.  It does taste a bit better after chilling overnight,  but I couldn't help but give it a taste right away. 

As if the eggnog wasn't decadent enough, I also decided to make some Alegria bars.  My friend, Kat, shared this recipe with me last week and I have been dying to try it.  I would go so far as to call this a healthy dessert since it uses heart-healthy amaranth and pistachios along with some cinnamon and maple syrup.  Amaranth is an ancient cereal grain (actually a pseudograin since it is a plant but is so similar to a grain) that was a staple in the diets of the Incas and the Aztecs.  It is packed with protein, essential amino acids like lysine which is uncommon in other grains, and it's gluten free.   Kat found the recipe in a book called The Splendid Grain by Rebecca Wood, but she made a few changes to that original recipe.  Wood points out in the book that alegria means "joy" in Spanish and that these bars are popular street vendor fare in Mexico and India.  Making them involves first popping the amaranth, which was a lot of fun and made the house smell so amazing.  I had no idea amaranth could even be popped and I decided that it makes a great snack all on its own.  

Alegria                                                      

1 cup of pure maple syrup

1/4 cup of pistachios

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups popped amaranth

Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan or line it with waxed paper.  Heat a large saucepan (not a frying pan or skillet) over high heat until drop of water sizzles in the bottom.  Add the amaranth a few teaspoons at a time.  If you try to pop too much at once, it won't pop and will burn (yep, I tried it, and it burned).  Stir the amaranth and within a few seconds it should begin to pop.   Continue stirring until almost all of the grains are popped.  Pour into a bowl and pop your next batch until you have 1 1/2 cups of popped amaranth.  

popped amaranth

Next, pour the maple syrup into a sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 12 minutes, or until it measures 244 F on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and add the cinnamon and pistachios.  Mix well, then add the popped amaranth.  Pour into the greased or wax-lined pan and press it in evenly.  Allow to cool slightly before cutting, but don't let them cool all the way or they will be more difficult to cut.  These will stay fresh for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.  Ours likely won't last that long.  Yo tengo alegria!