Eggnog

A Holiday Classic

Make it with or without the alcohol.

Ingredients
Use organic ingredients wherever possible

•4 egg yolks
•1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
•1 pint whole milk
•1 cup heavy cream
•3 ounces bourbon
•1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•4 egg whites

Directions

Beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.

For cooked eggnog, follow the directions below.

Beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from the heat and quickly stir about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Then return everything to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

Halloween Cocktails

Pink Sunrise Cocktails
(Rachael Ray)

4 cocktails.

Ingredients
•2 shots Campari liqueur
•1 quart red grapefruit juice
•1 bottle dry Champagne

Directions
Add half a shot of Campari to a champagne flute. Add a few ounces red grapefruit juice to the glass then fill the glass with Champagne to the rim and serve.





Spellbinders with Devil Eyeballs
(Emeril Lagasse)
10 servings.

Ingredients
•1/4 cup blue curacao
•3/4 cup galliano liqueur
•1 1/2 cups coconut rum
•2 quarts pineapple juice
•2 quarts seltzer water
Spooky Ice Cubes:
•Food coloring
•Water

Special Equipment: Novelty ice cube trays

Devil Eyeballs

•20 maraschino cherries
•20 chocolate chips (white or dark chocoale)
•20 lychee nut fruits (canned and pitted)

Directions
For the Punch:
Combine all ingredients in a large glass punch bowl and mix well.

For the Ice Cubes:
Color water with desired food colorings and pour into ice cube trays. Freeze until firm.

For the Devil Eyeballs:
Remove the stems from the cherries. Insert a chocolate chip, point side in, into each cherry to make "pupil" of the eye. Stuff cherry into pitted lychee nut fruit.
Ladle some of the punch into each glass. Garnish with ice cubes or devil eyeballs.




Witch's Brew
12 servings

Ingredients
•1 (6-ounce) package lime gelatin
•2 cups boiling water
•3 cups chilled pineapple juice
•1 (2 liter) bottle chilled lemon-lime soft drink or ginger ale
•2 cups chilled vodka, optional

Special equipment:
•1 large black plastic cauldron (available at party or craft stores)
•1 punch bowl that fits inside the cauldron
•1 plastic hand (available at party supply stores), sterilized in hot water
•1 block dry ice (available at supermarkets, ice cream shops or ice companies)

Directions
Pour the gelatin mix into a large bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Stir at least 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the pineapple juice. Let cool to room temperature.

Wearing heavy duty gloves or using tongs, place the block of dry ice in the bottom of the cauldron. (Dry ice will burn skin, so handle it with gloves and tongs and keep it away from kids and pets!)

Use an ice pick to break the block into smaller chunks, if necessary.
Fill the cauldron with just enough water to cover the dry ice. It will begin to "steam."
Place the punch bowl inside the cauldron, on top of the dry ice. The cauldron will appear to be magically smoking.

Entrap the sterilized rubber hand between the cauldron and the punch bowl, squeezing it tight so the hand appears to be reaching out of the mist for help. Hot-glue the hand to the cauldron, if necessary, to hold it in place.

Carefully pour the drink mixture into the punch bowl. Slowly add the chilled vodka and lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. Stir gently to mix.

Iced Coffee

ICED COFFEE Time: 5 minutes, plus 12 hours' resting

Time: 5 minutes, plus 12 hours' resting

1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best) Milk (optional).

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.
NOTE: To make hot coffee, dilute concentrate one-to-one with water and heat in the microwave

Or to the faster version

Brew a pot of coffee fill a glass full of ice Add you fresh brewd coffee.

My favorite is adding french vanilla flavored creamer before adding the coffee.

Root Beer Float

8 cups root beer
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Pour 4 cups root beer into 13x9x2-inch baking pan; freeze until set, about 4 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, boil remaining 4 cups root beer in large saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Cool root beer syrup.

Using tines of fork, scrape frozen root beer into icy flakes, then mix gently in pan to blend. Spoon 3/4 cup root beer granita into each of 6 clear glasses or dessert cups. Top granita with scoop of ice cream. Drizzle each with 4 teaspoons root beer syrup and serve.

Bon Appétit 2005