What is it

Eggnog is a milk-based drink thickened with egg yolks and flavoured with nutmeg and alcohol. The alcohol also helps preserve the beverage, which has a very short shelf-life in the fridge without it. You can make non-alcoholic eggnog by skipping the booze, but you should make it the day before you want to drink it and you can't store it for much longer than that.

Eggnog is actually a crème anglaise, which is the French baking term for custard sauce. Remember that crème anglaise is also the custard base used to make homemade ice cream, adding cream to it before churning.

What spices are in it?

Eggnog traditionally is made with vanilla and/or nutmeg only. I have seen versions that will deviate though and some recipes get quite creative with the spices.

I've seen variations with , cinnamon, star anise and even cardamom, but these are very much modern takes on this winter drink. I prefer to flavour with nutmeg and vanilla.

For the vanilla flavour, when cooking and baking with vanilla, different forms of vanilla are added at different stages of cooking. You can either add vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract after cooking the custard, or you can infuse the custard with a vanilla bean.

What type of alcohol do you use to make eggnog

Generally, I make eggnog with spiced rum because that's usually what I have in my kitchen to bake with. But you can also use:

• dark rum
• brandy
• bourbon

I've even seen eggnog recipes with whiskey. Choose a dark alcohol that has a flavour and aroma that you like since most of the flavour of this drink comes from the booze. Don't make eggnog with an alcohol you don't like because you probably won't like the resulting beverage.

How much alcohol you add is up to you

Technically, you could serve eggnog without any alcohol, but custard sauces and non-alcoholic eggnog have a short shelf-life: keep them just a couple days in the refrigerator. After that, you will have to toss it out.

The more alcohol you add, the longer you can store homemade eggnog. Some eggnog recipes will add well over 250 mL (1 cup) of booze for a 4 egg yolk custard base. This type of eggnog can be store in an airtight container for several weeks. 

There are some hard core eggnog fans that will store eggnog for a year in a sealed jar before consuming. The way I make eggnog, I store it for up to one week. I prefer to make small batches more often.

What about the egg whites?

To make eggnog, the custard drink is thickened with egg yolks, just like a crème anglaise. This leaves you with leftover egg whites (5 if you follow this recipe). Some people will actually whip the egg whites and fold them into the drink, leading to a more frothy Christmas beverage. Whether or not you do that is entirely up to you and it's an optional step that some might enjoy.

I prefer to keep my egg whites to make meringues, Italian meringue buttercream, vanilla marshmallows, macaroons, or chocolate pavlovas. You can also freeze the leftover egg whites to use later.

What to do with leftover eggnog

You can make many things with leftover eggnog. I like to blend it in an easy eggnog milkshake, or if I'm feeling more ambitious, you can bake it into a 1-2-3-4 cake, like in this eggnog bundt cake.

You can also add it to your morning coffee or serve it over multigrain waffles.

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Homemade Eggnog

Homemade eggnog is a custard drink flavoured with freshly grated nutmeg that can be served with alcohol.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 215kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 750 mL whole milk (3.25 % fat)
• 100 grams granulated sugar divided
• 2.5 mL ground nutmeg more or less depending on how much you like nutmeg
• 5 large egg yolk(s)
• 0.625 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 80 mL spiced or dark rum or you can use bourbon or even brandy

Metric - US

Instructions

• Set a medium metal bowl in a large bowl of ice water and have a fine sieve at the ready.
• Combine the milk, half the sugar, and the nutmeg in a 3-quart saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to encourage the sugar to dissolve. Heat the mixture through but do not allow it to boil (this is key to avoid making eggnog scrambled eggs!). Remove from the heat.
• Put the egg yolks and salt in a small heatproof bowl and gently whisk to break up the yolks. Whisk in the remaining half of sugar and beat the mixture until the yolks become very pale and light. Gradually whisk in the warm sweet milk mixture. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, and whisk to combine.
• Cook over medium-low heat (slow and steady), stirring constantly with a clean wooden spoon until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and hold a line drawn through it with a finger, about 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 170°F–175°F. Do not let the sauce overheat or boil because then you will probably curdle the mixture, making eggnog scrambled eggs. Immediately strain the sauce through the sieve into the bowl set in the ice-water bath.
• Gently whisk in the rum and vanilla extract. Stir the drink occasionally until cool, about 10 minutes. Transfer it to a large container. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until the eggnog is velvety and slightly thick.
• Serve over ice.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Homemade Eggnog appeared first on The Bake School.

I'm currently dealing with a mountain of frozen bananas. Sure, you could make the best banana bread without baking soda or banana chocolate chip cookies with them, but smoothies will also do the trick when it comes to getting the frozen banana stash under control.

Ingredients

You don't need much to make this easy smoothie recipe!

• milk and yogurt—I use a combination of 2 % milk and 2 % plain yogurt
• ice to give the smoothie some body and thickness
• frozen banana—I like to keep sliced ripe banana in the freezer for things like this, but if your banana is frozen whole, that will absolutely work too!
• coffee—I use instant coffee granules (the kind you add boiling water to when making a quick cup of coffee) but espresso powder will work too
• ground green cardamom

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

I love the frothy layer that forms when you blend smoothies, like the milky foam of a cappuccino. This banana smoothie is so versatile and there are a lot of possible variations.

• Spices: I added cardamom to this banana drink, while thinking of Turkish coffee, which combines coffee and cardamom seeds, but you could try cinnamon, nutmeg, or even allspice for a different, warm flavour profile
• Chocolate: the coffee smoothie is topped with espresso powder, but you could try cocoa powder instead or even a splash of chocolate syrup
• Berries: one surprising flavour pairing is coffee and berries (like in this coffee raspberry bread pudding! Add a few strawberries or raspberries to the blender and see if you like it!
• Oats: to give the smoothie more body and to make it a better meal replacement, you can add large flake oats (also called rolled oats) and blend them in. They won't add much taste but will thicken up this smoothie and make it more substantial.
• More protein: if you want more protein in this recipe, add a spoonful of almond butter or peanut butter.
• Sweetness: For a sweeter smoothie, add a splash of maple syrup or honey to the blender before mixing.
• Yogurt—I use plain unsweetened yogurt, but you can also use vanilla yogurt instead or sweetened plain yogurt.
• Lactose-free options: This smoothie has a lot of dairy with lactose in it, if that's a problem, you can use
  • lactose-free milk or non-dairy milk.
  • lactose-free plain yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
• Vegan options: if you are following a vegan diet try:
  • non-dairy vegan milk beverage to replace the cow's milk, like oat milk, almond milk, or even soy milk or coconut milk. Use the type of milk you like to drink
  • coconut milk yogurt or even oat milk yogurt, which is slowly becoming more common and easier to find.

Fun toppings

While I topped this smoothie with espresso powder and cocoa nibs, you could try cocoa powder, shredded coconut, and so many other ingredients. Get creative!

How it's Made

Smoothies are so easy! You can measure your ingredients directly into the blender jug. Some blender jugs even double as drinking cups!

I always put the liquids in a smoothie into the blender jug first (image 1) before adding the other ingredients. Next, add the bananas (image 2) and the flavour elements, like coffee granules (image 3). Blend on medium–high speed until smooth.

For a thicker smoothie, use less milk or add more ice cubes. For a thinner smoothie, add more milk. Smoothies are very forgiving.

I use a KitchenAid blender to make my smoothies. Another option would be to use a stick blender and blend it directly in a large glass or jug. The KitchenAid stick blender kit has a tall blending cup that can fit these ingredients.

When I have some freshly brewed coffee on hand, I use it instead of the instant coffee, reducing the milk used. If it's summer, I blend in a few ice cubes. Cocoa powder would also taste great in this recipe. The smoothie you create will be a matter of taste, but here's a recipe to get you started. And, by all means, tweak away when you make your version of this smoothie!

Smoothie FAQs

More Banana Recipes

If you love to bake with bananas, here are a few more recipes to try:

If you tried this coffee banana smoothie recipe (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Coffee Banana Smoothie

Learn how to make a coffee banana smoothie with this easy recipe, ready in less than 5 minutes. This banana drink makes a healthy snack!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 large glass

Calories 290kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 190 mL skim milk (fat free) more or less depending on the desired consistency
• 190 mL yogurt (2 % fat)
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 frozen banana sliced
• 5 mL instant coffee granules
• 1.25 mL ground cardamom

Optional toppings

• cacao nibs
• instant espresso powder

Metric - US

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse. Continue blending until smooth.
• Pour the smoothie in a tall glass, or several smaller glasses, and top with a sprinkle of espresso powder and a few cocoa nibs. Serve immediately.

Notes

• For added sweetness, blend in a splash of maple syrup or honey, or you can use sweetened plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt.
• To make this banana smoothie more substantial and filling, add 25 grams (½ cup) of rolled oats and blend them in.
• lactose-free options:
  • This smoothie has a lot of dairy with lactose in it, if that's a problem, you can replace the regular milk with lactose-free milk.
  • For the yogurt, there are lactose-free plain yogurt options now in stores
• vegan options:
  • you can try a vegan milk beverage to replace the cow's milk, like oat milk, almond milk, or even soy milk or coconut milk. Use the type of milk you like to drink.
  • you can try coconut milk yogurt or even oat milk yogurt, which is slowly becoming more common and easier to find.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 1218mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 714IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 508mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Coffee Banana Smoothie appeared first on The Bake School.

This post was sponsored by Cacao Barry. 

My mom used to serve us hot chocolate in tiny, very fancy china teacups when we were growing up. I remember having it after playing with the dogs out in the backyard in the dead of winter. The tiny teacups only came out when we were having hot chocolate. I'm honestly not sure what else you would serve in tiny teacups besides hot chocolate.

If you are in the middle of winter, like we are, and you are craving other hot beverages, try this Turkish coffee (great afternoon caffeine jolt) and hot buttered rum (because sometimes, booze is the answer).

Hot Chocolate Versus Hot Cocoa

I suspect a lot of people think that hot chocolate and hot cocoa are the same. They are both hot, chocolaty beverages, but they aren't made in the same way.

Hot chocolate is made from chocolate and milk, while hot cocoa is often made from cocoa powder and boiling water. Hot cocoa mix may also contain sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, or other ingredients.

Ingredients

Both hot chocolate and hot cocoa are very easy to make at home and require few ingredients. Hot chocolate made with real chocolate has a richer, more luscious flavour. And the more chocolate you add, the more unctuous and luxurious hot chocolate becomes.

To make hot chocolate, you will need:

• milk—I use whole milk (3.25 % fat) but any milk will work. Obviously, the higher the fat content, the creamier the chocolate beverage will be!
• chocolate—I use 70 % dark chocolate from the brand Cacao Barry called Ocoa. It is not very sweet.
• Earl Grey tea (optional)—I love the combination of Earl Grey tea and dark chocolate so I infused the milk with tea before adding the chocolate. This is optional.

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

In recipes like hot chocolate, where chocolate is the star and one of two main ingredients, use the best chocolate for baking with great flavour.

To make this hot chocolate, I used Ocoa chocolate from Cacao Barry, which is a 70% cocoa dark chocolate with a deep chocolate flavour. You can find it at IGA grocery stores in Quebec in 1-kilo resealable bags.

If you aren’t living in Quebec, you can order this chocolate online (and many other Cacao Barry products) via the Vanilla Food Company website. They ship across Canada and to the United States! This means that we all have access to professional quality chocolates at the click of a button. Investing in the best chocolate will make the best hot chocolate. It's that simple.

Ratio of Milk-to-Chocolate

For a luscious hot chocolate that is not too thick and not too thin, you want to start with two parts of milk (preferably whole milk) and one part of dark chocolate (the best chocolate you can buy and preferably 70% cacao chocolate), so 2:1 by volume. This means 2 cups (500 mL) milk mixed with 1 cup (250 mL) chocolate. By weight, this works out to 25% dark chocolate in whole milk or 175 grams of dark chocolate melted with 500 grams of milk.

This is how I personally make the best hot chocolate to suit my taste, but you might want to tweak this recipe to make it the way you like it, with more or less chocolate.

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe will work with dark, milk, or white chocolate. You could also try ruby chocolate or caramelized white chocolate for fun twists on the classic chocolate drink. There are so many flavours that pair well with hot chocolate and dark chocolate. In the recipe below, I infused the milk with Earl Grey tea before making the hot chocolate. I've done this to make Earl grey chocolate truffles and this Earl Grey chocolate tart. Here are a few examples of how you can get creative and flavour hot chocolate. Remember that in all cases, you will have to experiment to get the flavour you want. Make sure to add less flavouring first and add more as needed. If you add too much, you can't go back!

• Tea-infused hot chocolate: steep the milk with a few tea bags (or a tea strainer with loose-leaf tea) to add tons of flavour before adding the chocolate
• Spiced hot chocolate: add cinnamon, cardamom, or even some dried chilli for a kick
• Nutty hot chocolate: stir in a little nut butter, like tahini or peanut butter. Start with ¼ cup (60 mL) and add more to taste.
• Peppermint hot chocolate: stir in a little peppermint extract. Start with around ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and add more as needed. 
• Lactose-free: use lactose-free milk
• Non-dairy: use your favourite non-dairy beverage, like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. Soy milk also works great here!

How To Make Hot Chocolate With Real Chocolate

Making hot chocolate with real chocolate is so simple. All you have to do is heat the milk, add the chocolate, and stir it to melt.

Step 1: Place the milk in a saucepan (image 1). Heat the milk with any flavour ingredients that need to steep. I added a few Earl Grey tea bags to the pot (image 2). Once the tea has steeped for long enough, remove the tea bags from the hot milk (image 3), then add the chopped chocolate (image 4)

Note: If you'd like to infuse hot chocolate with tea or spices, you would want to do that before, then strain it out and add the chocolate to the hot infused milk.

Step 2: Let the chocolate and milk mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir the two to combine them. Use an immersion blender to ensure the hot chocolate is smooth. Serve hot.

If you chill this drink for several hours before serving, you will have homemade dark chocolate milk! Just make sure to give it a good shake before serving.

Hot Chocolate Trick for Foam

Finishing the hot chocolate with an immersion blender not only smoothes it out, eliminating any lumps, and it also adds a lovely froth to your drink!

Serving Suggestions

Obviously, you can serve hot chocolate with whipped cream or homemade vanilla marshmallows. I also like to serve them with a cookie, like these slice-and-bake gingerbread cookies or these gingerbread cookie cutouts. These would also taste great with chewy chocolate sugar cookies or fancy chocolate sablés.

Hot Chocolate FAQs

If you tried this recipe for hot chocolate (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Hot Chocolate with Earl Grey Tea

This is a recipe for the best hot chocolate, made with high quality dark chocolate (70%) and whole milk. The milk is infused with Earl Grey tea, but you can skip that if you prefer. This makes a rich, luxurious hot chocolate.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 603kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• GIR spatula
• Hand blender

Ingredients

• 500 mL whole milk (3.25 % fat)
• 3 tea bags loose leaf Earl Grey tea optional
• 150 grams dark chocolate (70 % cocoa content)

Metric - US

Instructions

• Place the pan of milk on the heat. If infusing with tea, add the tea bags to the milk. Heat over medium–high heat until it's almost boiling. Remove from the heat and, if using tea, let steep 5 minutes. Squeeze the bags and remove them.
• Add the dark chocolate to the hot milk. Let stand for 1 minute then stir to melt. Use an immersion blender to emulsify the mixture to yield smooth hot chocolate. This will also a lovely froth to the hot chocolate.
• Divide the hot chocolate between two mugs. Serve immediately as is, or with a dollop of sweet whipped cream or a marshmallow.

Notes

For the dark chocolate, I used Cacao Barry Ocoa 70 % dark chocolate.

Here are a few examples of how you can get creative and flavour hot chocolate. Remember that in all cases, you will have to experiment to get the flavour you want. Make sure to add less flavouring first and add more as needed. If you add too much, you can't go back!

• Tea-infused hot chocolate: steep the milk with a few tea bags (or a tea strainer with loose leaf tea) to add tons of flavour before adding the chocolate
• Spiced hot chocolate: add cinnamon, cardamom, or even some dried chilli for a kick
• Nutty hot chocolate: stir in a little nut butter, like tahini or peanut butter. Start with ¼ cup (60 mL) and add more to taste.
• Peppermint hot chocolate: stir in a little peppermint extract. Start with around ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and add more as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 447IU | Calcium: 372mg | Iron: 9mg

This post is sponsored by Cacao Barry. I was compensated monetarily and with product. Thanks for supporting the companies that allow me to create content for Kitchen Heals Soul. As always, please know that I wouldn’t work with a sponsor nor recommend a product if it wasn’t worth it.
Please note this post contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you buy a product I recommend, I will get a small commission, and the price you have to pay will not change in any way.

The post Best Hot Chocolate with Earl Grey appeared first on The Bake School.

Hot cocoa is the beverage that gets many of us through the cold months of winter. It might be essential, especially for those who enjoy outdoor activities, whether a leisurely winter stroll through the snow or downhill skiing. The reward is usually a hot cup of cocoa. It's quick and easy, and the longest/hardest part is waiting for the water to boil.

Hot Cocoa Versus Hot Chocolate

Hot cocoa is not to be confused with hot chocolate. To avoid any confusion, here's what the two beverages are made of:

• Hot chocolate is made with dark chocolate and whole milk (sometimes cream). It's kind of like ganache but with more liquid.
• Hot cocoa is a sweetened beverage made from an instant powder mix found in the coffee/tea aisle of most grocery stores. It's often garnished with small, crunchy, dehydrated marshmallows. All you do is add boiling water to make a cup of hot cocoa with the mix.

Ingredients

You only need shelf-stable pantry staples to make this recipe; you may already have most of these! To make hot cocoa mix, you will need:

• dry milk powder (also called powdered milk) is the main ingredient in this recipe. It adds body to the mix and also allows you to make a cup of hot cocoa with just boiling water (without adding milk or cream)!
• icing sugar (also called powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar) because it has a fine texture that will dissolve quickly. It also adds a little body to the beverage because icing sugar contains a small amount of starch (usually cornstarch or tapioca starch), which will help thicken the beverage a little
• cocoa powder—please use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a richer, more pronounced flavour and a darker colour. Otherwise, your hot cocoa may end up watery and not as flavourful
• salt—preferably fine kosher salt, which is less salty than table salt
• vanilla sugar is optional, but I find it helps round out the flavour and also gives a nice aroma to the mix
• dehydrated marshmallows (also called marshmallow bits) are also optional, but they are super cute and bring this beverage up a notch, transforming it into the quintessential hot cocoa mix.

Please see the recipe card for exact quantities and ingredients.

Substitutions and Variations

Though I insist you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe and will accept no substitute, there are other changes you can make to this base recipe:

• Lactose-free—if you can't have lactose, there is lactose-free milk powder made from dehydrated lactose-free milk, or you can try soy milk powder, or even coconut milk powder. I haven't tried these alternatives. Note that some of these non-dairy milks may have more fat. These products can be more expensive too.
• Hot cocoa without milk powder—If you'd rather not use powdered milk and instead make the hot cocoa with hot milk, you can! Skip the milk powder in the recipe, and when portioning it out the mix into mugs, add half the amount of hot cocoa mix. Add hot milk to make the beverage.
• Sugar—instead of icing sugar, you can use granulated or superfine sugar. Note that these are to dissolve. I recommend this change with reservations.
• Vanilla sugar—you can use ground vanilla bean instead of vanilla sugar, but this will be much more expensive.
• Spices:
  • Warm flavours—Add ground cinnamon, which will add a very comforting flavour
  • Floral flavour—add ground green cardamom to the mix
  • Spicy flavour—add ground cayenne pepper to the dry mix, but remember, a little goes a long way! You will have to experiment to find the right balance of flavours.

How to Make Hot Cocoa Mix

Making hot cocoa mix from scratch is so easy. All you have to do is combine the ingredients and store them for later. Here's how:

Step 1: Cocoa powder, icing sugar, and powdered milk can absorb moisture and clump when stored. To make a finer hot cocoa mix without any lumps or clumps, I recommend sifting the milk powder, cocoa powder, and icing sugar through a fine-mesh sieve (image 1). Use a whisk to help press the ingredients through the sifter into a large bowl (image 2). After sifting, add the salt (image 3) and then whisk everything together to ensure the ingredients are evenly dispersed in the mix (image 4).

Step 2: Transfer the hot cocoa mix to airtight jars (image 5) to store it in a cool dry place for later. Once you've whisked together all the ingredients, transfer the mixture to jars to store them. You can decorate the jars with pretty labels and ribbons. It makes a great edible gift for Christmas or Valentine's Day!

When it's time to make hot cocoa, scoop a few tablespoons of the mix into each mug and top with boiling water, topping the drinks with mini marshmallows or dehydrated marshmallows just before serving (image 6). I like to serve hot cocoa with shortbread cookies, like these buckwheat shortbread cookies with cocoa nibs.

Top Tips

This recipe is so easy. Still, there are a few points to be aware of before you make this.

• Sift the components of the mix together. This helps you better mix and evenly disperse the dry ingredients, and you will have a smoother cup of hot cocoa when you add boiling water. It's worth the extra time, though not essential.
• Hot cocoa is made with boiling water! Give a freshly made cup of cocoa a few minutes to cool down slightly before drinking. Otherwise, you may burn your lips or your tongue!

Hot Cocoa FAQs

Other Winter Drink Recipes

This hot cocoa mix recipe as well as these winter drinks help make the cold months a little more bearable:

If you tried this recipe for hot cocoa (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Hot Cocoa Mix

Learn how to make homemade hot cocoa mix with this easy recipe so that you are ready for a cup of hot cocoa any time! This mix makes an excellent Christmas gift, especially if you include the tiny dehydrated marshmallows as garnish for the top!

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 22

Calories 96kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Equipment

• Strainer
• OXO balloon whisk
• 1 L jar

Ingredients

• 250 grams nonfat dry milk powder
• 250 grams icing sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like your hot cocoa
• 90 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder or any Dutch-processed cocoa powder you like
• 9 grams vanilla sugar
• 5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt

Serving

• Dehydrated marshmallows

Metric - US

Instructions

• Place a strainer over a large bowl.
• Add the milk powder, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla sugar to the strainer and use a whisk to strain it through and remove any lumps.
• Whisk the salt into the strained ingredients in the bowl.
• Transfer to a jar to store the mix until you are ready to use.

Serving

• To make a cup of hot cocoa, place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a mug and top with boiling water.
• You can garnish with dehydrated marshmallows before serving.

Notes

• This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
• Sift the components of the mix together. This helps you better mix and evenly disperse the dry ingredients, and you will have a smoother cup of hot cocoa when you add boiling water. It's worth the extra time, though not essential.
• Hot cocoa is made with boiling water! Give a freshly made cup of cocoa a few minutes to cool down slightly before drinking. Otherwise, you may burn your lips or your tongue!
• Lactose-free version—if you can't have lactose, there is lactose-free milk powder made from dehydrated lactose-free milk, or you can try soy milk powder, or even coconut milk powder. I haven't tried these alternatives. Note that some of these non-dairy milks may have more fat. These products can be more expensive too.
• Hot cocoa without milk powder—If you'd rather not use powdered milk and instead make the hot cocoa with hot milk, you can! Skip the milk powder in the recipe, and when portioning it out the mix into mugs, add half the amount of hot cocoa mix. Add hot milk to make the beverage.
• Spices:
  • Warm flavours—Add ground cinnamon, which will add a very comforting flavour
  • Spicy flavour—add ground cayenne pepper to the dry mix, but remember, a little goes a long way! You will have to experiment to find the right balance of flavours
  • Floral flavour—add ground green cardamom to the mix
• Swapping the sugar—instead of icing sugar, you can use granulated or superfine sugar. Note that these are to dissolve. I recommend this change with reservations.
• Vanilla sugar—you can use ground vanilla bean instead of vanilla sugar, but this will be much more expensive.

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe appeared first on The Bake School.

Hot buttered rum is a hot alcoholic drink made with boiling water, butter, sugar, spices, and alcohol (rum, as the name indicates). You may notice a few ice cream-based hot buttered rum recipes, which is not the traditional, typical way of making this hot beverage. This recipe is for the classic hot buttered rum from scratch, made from a butter batter, not ice cream. 

Ingredients

To make hot buttered rum, prepare a butter batter in advance, which you store in the fridge for when you want to make the hot beverage. Here's what you need:

• butter—use unsalted butter because salted butter may be too salty for this drink
• sugar—use brown sugar (light or dark) because the molasses notes will give your drink so much more flavour
• spices—use your favourite warm spices. I like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, but you could also try a little ginger, for example
• rum—I like to make hot buttered rum with spiced or dark rum.
• water—you will need boiling water when it's time to make the drink

Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

This classic drink is very simple to prepare, but here are a few places you may decide to modify the recipe:

• sugar: I love brown sugar (light or dark) in this recipe, but you could also consider using maple sugar or a muscovado-type sugar that has even more flavour. For extra sweetness, you can adjust the drink to taste with a splash of maple syrup while preparing individual drinks.
• spices: as mentioned above, you can play with the spices. I love to start with a strong cinnamon base, adding nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to add to it, but you can also consider ginger, mace, or any other warm spices. Cardamom may be a fun option to explore.
• rum: while spiced or dark rum is commonly used in this drink (don't use white rum here!), you could conceivably try a different alcohol entirely (though it won't quite be hot buttered rum), like bourbon, whiskey, brandy, or even a sweet liqueur like Kahlua (coffee liqueur) or Amaretto (almond liqueur). Both of these will make a sweeter beverage.
• optional garnishes: the classic hot buttered rum is stirred with a cinnamon stick and doesn't have any fancy garnishes (aside from a little grated nutmeg). Some may like to top this drink with whipped cream or even ice cream, turning it into a dessert drink.

How to Make Butter Batter for Hot Buttered Rum

To make the winter drink hot buttered rum, you first need to make a butter batter ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, when it's time to make a drink, place a piece of the butter batter in a mug and add rum and boiling water.

The butter batter is essentially a paste of butter, sugar, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Here's how it's done:

Step 1: make the butter batter, starting with softened butter (image 1) to which you add brown sugar and spices (image 2). Cream together the ingredients until everything is evenly mixed (image 3). Then, shape the butter batter into a log, using parchment paper to tighten and shape the log (image 4). Wrap it tightly. Store it in the fridge for later.

Step 2: When it's time to make a hot buttered rum drink, slice the log of butter batter into 8–10 pieces (image 5), roughly 20 grams per piece, more or less, depending on how sweet you like your drink. Add a piece of rum batter to a large mug along with spiced or dark rum and a cinnamon stick (image 6). Fill the mug with boiling water (image 7), then grate a little nutmeg to garnish the hot beverage (image 8). Serve hot.

This drink is warm, festive, and cheery. And as I mentioned, feel free to tweak the spices and the amount of sugar in this recipe. I tested this recipe using plain boiling water, and also boiling maple water (which made the drink slightly sweeter). Boiling apple cider would also taste great with these spices, but then I guess it wouldn't be a hot buttered rum anymore...

Other Drinks to Try

For another fun and festive drink to get you through the winter, try this eggnog milkshake or any of the following: 

If you tried this hot buttered rum recipe (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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Hot Buttered Rum

Learn how to make the best hot buttered rum with this easy recipe. You will make a butter batter from butter, sugar, and spices, that serves as a base for the drink with rum and boiling water.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 174kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

For butter batter

• 115 grams unsalted butter softened
• 100 grams light brown sugar
• 5 mL ground cinnamon
• 1.25 mL ground nutmeg
• 1.25 mL ground allspice
• 0.625 mL ground cloves

For each hot buttered rum serving

• 45 mL spiced or dark rum more or less depending on how strong a drink you would like
• 23 grams butter batter recipe above
• 300 mL boiling water more or less depending on the size of the mug
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• ground nutmeg
• 15 mL pure maple syrup optional, if you like a sweeter drink

Metric - US

Instructions

• First, prepare the butter batter. Cream together all the ingredients for the butter batter. Roll into a log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Store it in the fridge.
• For every serving of hot buttered rum, in the bottom of a heat-proof glass or mug, add spiced rum and a piece of butter batter (~20–30 grams). Fill halfway with boiling water and stir vigorously with the cinnamon stick to melt the butter and dissolve the sugars. When everything is melted and well stirred, top with more boiling water. Adjust the sweetness with a splash of maple syrup. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and enjoy.

Notes

• Use light or dark brown sugar, or for a more flavourful butter batter, consider using maple or muscovado sugar.
• You can try different combinations of warm spices in the butter batter, but I prefer mostly cinnamon with a little allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. A pumpkin spice mix or apple pie spice mix could work here instead!
• The classic hot buttered rum drink is made with spiced or dark rum. You can get creative and try a completely different liqueur, like brandy or cognac, or even a sweet liqueur, like Kahlua or Amaretto.
• The simplest garnish for this drink is a cinnamon stick, which you can use to stir and decorate it. For a dessert drink, you can top the beverage with whipped cream or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This will melt, creating a creamier dessert beverage. 

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Hot Buttered Rum appeared first on The Bake School.

Many of us like to buy a few sugar pumpkins in the fall to make homemade pumpkin purée. All you have to do is roast the pumpkin until the flesh is soft enough to purée. Sometimes homemade purées can be more watery than the commercially canned pumpkin, so I like to strain it through a few layers of cheesecloth to make sure it's thick enough for baking with. 

When you go to all that effort, it's nice to make a big batch of purée. Then you can explore more recipes for baking with pumpkin—order your copy of the e-book All About Pumpkin so you can celebrate this star ingredient!

Freezing pumpkin purée

I freeze some of it in different portion sizes to be ready for a variety of recipes:

• freeze 0.5 cup portions to make a small batch of baked pumpkin donuts or these cute pumpkin whoopie pies filled with cream cheese frosting.
• freeze 1 cup portions for easy recipes like this pumpkin loaf cake, this whole wheat pumpkin bread, or even this maple pumpkin bread
• freeze 1.5 cup portions for this healthier pumpkin bread which is also eggless, dairy-free, and vegan, or this fabulous pumpkin bread with cranberries
• freeze some in ice cube trays for smoothies and shakes (like the recipe below)

Most smoothies are banana-based, often made with frozen banana which gives the drink a creamy, thick textures. This shake is made with frozen pumpkin and almond milk (and specifically Almond Breeze). I also usually opt for the unsweetened kind (whether plain or vanilla) because I like to control my sweetness. I've been using Almond Breeze since 2009, and I've been hooked ever since. I've got to be honest though: I would not drink Almond Breeze straight, BUT I love it in breakfast porridges, blended in shakes, or even to bake with.

Almond Breeze has added a new line of refrigerated almond milk beverages that come in 1.89-litre packs and start out in the refrigerator aisle (different from the shelf-stable tetra paks). I found this convenient for a recipe like this one because adding room-temperature milk to a cold shake kinda doesn't make sense and I never remember to pre-chill my almond milk before opening it because my shake-making is usually spontaneous.

I am not one for protein powders or adding scoops of anything more than the fruits and veggies I'd eat if I weren't about to blend them. And, as I mentioned earlier, I don't think every single "healthy drink" that comes out of my blender should involve a banana. This is a pumpkin pie shake and it tastes exactly like pumpkin pie: a little sweet, a little spiced, and a little creamy. In fact, I based this vegan shake recipe on the ingredients in the pumpkin tarts. I have consumed blender-fulls of this pumpkin pie shake. It's really very good, if I may say so myself. 

📖 Recipe

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Pumpkin Spice Shake

This is a pumpkin spice shake that tastes exactly like pumpkin pie: a little sweet, a little spiced, a little creamy.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 157kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 500 mL Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk
• 25 grams light brown sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like your shakes
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract
• 15 mL pure maple syrup
• 2.5 mL ground cinnamon
• 1.25 mL ground ginger
• 0.625 mL ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 250 grams pumpkin purée about 10 ice cubes worth if using homemade pumpkin purée frozen in ice cube trays

Metric - US

Instructions

• In a blender, start by blending the almond milk, sugar, maple syrup, and spices.
• Add the pumpkin purée and blend until it's the consistency of a thick milkshake.
• Divide among glasses. Makes 4 small servings or 2 breakfast portions. You can sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon, or even graham cracker crumbs.

Notes

I made this shake recipe with Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal

 Almond Breeze sent me samples of their almond milk and financial compensation to develop recipes with their products this month. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new recipes for Kitchen Heals Soul. As always, please know that I wouldn't mention the product if it wasn't worth it. And I really have been using Almond Breeze since 2009.

The post Pumpkin spice shake appeared first on The Bake School.

Ingredients For Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee, also known as Greek coffee or Arabic coffee, is made from Arabica beans that are very finely ground. Some also grind in cardamom along with the coffee beans, imparting floral, spicy, and citrus notes when brewed. The cardamom makes Turkish coffee even better in my opinion. Turkish coffee is enjoyed in many Middle Eastern and European countries, such as Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Iran, and Egypt. Many will serve Egyptian shortbread cookies or pistachio baklava with Turkish coffee.

How To Make Arabic Coffee

Equipment needed to make traditional Turkish coffee

• Turkish coffee pot on a stovetop: Though there isn't really a Turkish coffee maker per se, the kanaka (also known as cezve, briki or briki, or also rakweh) is the traditional method for brewing Turkish coffee on the stovetop. It's a small, but tall pot with a handle and a pouring spout.
• Small coffee cups for Turkish coffee (like these on Amazon) or small espresso cups of 3 to 4 ounces (like these on Amazon)

Alternative: either a small saucepan OR a kettle to boil water if you don't have a traditional Turkish coffee pot

How do you make Turkish coffee without an ibrik or kanaka?

If you don't have an ibrik or kanaka, you have two options for making Turkish coffee without the ibrik:

1. The "instant" method to make Turkish coffee without an ibrik or kanaka: My aunt taught me that now it is quite common to make "instant" Turkish coffee these days, just by stirring the coffee grinds with boiling water directly in your coffee cup. So for this, all you need to do is bring water to a boil in a kettle or in a pot on the stove.
2. Make Turkish coffee in a saucepan on the stove if you don't have an ibrik: purists will mock, but if you don't want to buy an ibrik, this is your best option.
3. Use an espresso Moka pot to make Turkish coffee without an ibrik: the trouble with Turkish coffee is the beans are very finely ground so if you brew Turkish coffee in an espresso pot, the Turkish coffee grinds may escape through the pores. Still, most who drink Turkish coffee are used to the grinds left behind in the cup, so this is also a great option. You can buy the Moka pot on Amazon.

Serving Suggestions

When the coffee is ready, Turkish coffee is poured into small cups, much like Italian espresso, and most of the wet coffee grounds are transferred to the cups. The coffee grounds settle to the bottom of the cup before drinking. Turkish coffee is often served with lots of sugar, though many enjoy it plain and unsweetened. Milk isn't added to Turkish coffee. While some cultures remove the foam that forms when the Turkish coffee is brewed, in Egypt, the foam on the coffee is called the "wish" (i.e. face) and it is good luck, so the Turkish coffee is served with the foam on top. The best method for achieving the most foam when making Turkish coffee is on the stove.

Some say the coffee grounds left at the bottom of the cup can be used to tell your fortune. The cup is inverted onto a saucer and the residual coffee grounds are used for fortune-telling, also referred to as tasseography.

However you choose to make it, Turkish coffee is delightful. It is sweet, slightly floral from the cardamom, and not at all bitter so you can enjoy it hot, without milk, and even without any sugar.

Other Turkish Coffee Recipes

If you love Turkish coffee, try these Turkish coffee buns (like Swedish cardamom buns with a coffee twist) and this coffee cheesecake flavoured with cardamom.

If you tried this recipe for how to make Turkish coffee (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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How to make Turkish coffee

Here's how to make Turkish coffee, the fast way with boiling water and the slow way with a kanaka on the stove.

Course Drink

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Calories 20kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 5 mL finely ground Turkish coffee a mixture of Arabica and some cardamom (you can use more if desired)
• 5 mL granulated sugar you can use more or less depending on how sweet you like it

Metric - US

Instructions

The “instant” way:

• Place coffee grinds and sugar (if using) in a small coffee cup. Top with boiling water.
• Stir the mixture, going around 23 times with your spoon (not 19 or 27 times!). Stirring is important so that the coffee grinds hydrate better and sink to the bottom so that you aren’t drinking grainy coffee later.
• Let the coffee settle for a few minutes and sip while hot.

The “traditional” way in Egypt (please note: this method requires a kanaka)

• Place coffee grinds and sugar (if using) in the kanaka. Top with cold water.
• Place the kanaka on the stove and heat on low very slowly until the mixture just begins to boil (if it boils too much, you will lose the foam, and possibly your good luck, especially when the coffee erupts out of the pot).
• Remove from heat and let sit 1 minute before pouring into a small coffee cup.

Notes

Here's a Turkish coffee you can buy on Amazon
For a kanaka, you can try this one from Amazon)

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcal

The post How To Make Turkish Coffee appeared first on The Bake School.

In the spirit of stress-free Christmas cheer, I came up with this idea for an eggnog milkshake. Eggnog is basically a crème anglaise spiked with rum (or bourbon) and flavoured with lots and lots of nutmeg, so why not make it using vanilla ice cream (since vanilla ice cream is also crème anglaise based).

You can make this milkshake with leftover eggnog or regular milk. This is the perfect holiday drink. Bonus: it takes just a few minutes to make—the hardest part is scooping the ice cream.

I highly recommend taking a moment for yourself, at the end of the day, with an eggnog milkshake to brighten your spirit so that you can enjoy a festive holiday moment in all the chaos. Or for a hot festive drink, try making hot buttered rum!

📖 Recipe

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Eggnog Milkshake

This is a boozy eggnog that is very easy to throw together and it tastes like eggnog.

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Calories 636kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 4 scoops Vanilla bean ice cream softened ever so slightly
• 250 mL eggnog or 2 % milk
• 30 mL spiced or dark rum more or less depending on how you like it
• 2.5 mL ground nutmeg plus a pinch more for garnish
• 1 graham cracker

Metric - US

Instructions

• Blend the vanilla ice cream with the eggnog (or milk), rum and nutmeg until it’s smooth and frothy. Serve in a tall glass (or 2 glasses if you are sharing) with crumbled graham crackers and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Notes

For this recipe, I used Honeymaid graham crackers (on Amazon), crumbled as garnish

Nutrition

Calories: 636kcal

If you have leftover eggnog, remember you can bake it into this eggnog pound cake recipe!

The post Eggnog milkshake appeared first on The Bake School.

📖 Recipe

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Toasted Almond Drink

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Calories 287kcal

Author Janice Lawandi

Ingredients

• 60 mL evaporated milk
• 30 mL amaretto liqueur
• 30 mL Kahlua
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• ice cubes

Metric - US

Instructions

• In a cocktail shaker, combine the milk, amaretto, and Kahlua.
• Shake to mix well the ingredients.
• Serve over ice, with a dash of ground cinnamon, and a cinnamon stick.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Toasted almond drink appeared first on The Bake School.