How To Make Eggnog (without using heavy cream)

Delicious, creamy eggnog is a christmas season favorite, and surprisingly easy to make. You can add a bit of rum to make this classic eggnog if you like, or you can keep it kid safe by just following the recipe I've given below. It's a wonderful treat, especially when served with freshly baked eggnog latte cupcakes. I'll be making a recipe post for those next, so save a bit of eggnog and vanilla frosting if you'd like to try them out.

Since it's holiday season I decided to give a try at making eggnog from scratch, but I quickly came across an issue. Most eggnog recipes call for heavy cream, which is a bit hard to find around my area. Any recipes without the use of heavy cream used milk, half & half, or whipped cream replacements, but it seemed that people were having a problem with getting that rich and creamy texture heavy cream recipes offer. In light of this I put together my own recipe on eggnog without use of heavy cream, which still allows for a very creamy texture. It only takes about 20 minutes to make.

What You Will Need:

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups of milk or 2 cups milk and 1 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• vanilla frosting
• optional spices; cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, etc ( i used 1/3rd of a candy cane stick which adds a peppermint flavor and a pink hue if you stir it for a moment)

Step 1:   Put 6 eggs in a large sauce pan and sugar. Whisk until smooth.

Step 2:   Add 2 cups of milk, whisk until blended. Place over medium heat and whisk for about 5-10 minutes or until the texture is thick/frothy and sticking to your spoon. Do not cook too long or it will become lumpy.

Step 3:   Take off heat, add 2 heaping table spoons of vanilla frosting and a cup of milk or half & half.

Step 4:  Add spices and stir in. If you want it to have a peppermint flavor, break up a candy cane and toss that in. Mix until the eggnog is pink, then scoop out the remaining bits of candy cane (or leave them in if you prefer). 

Step 5:   Taste. If you want it thicker, add more vanilla frosting. Let the eggnog cool for an hour or two in the refrigerator, then serve.

If you wish to have peppermint flavored eggnog, add candy cane sticks. Not only does it look nice, but giving a few stirs while the eggnog is still hot will give it a swirly pink look. Candy canes have the perfect flavor of sweet peppermint, and there are a number of different kinds available. A pack of candy canes only costs about a dollar or two and they can be found all over the place during holiday season. Other delicious spices you can add are nutmeg, chai, cinnamon, and clove. Many of these work well together or alone. I made my eggnog with half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of clove. It tastes delicious, especially with the peppermint.

How To Make A Snow Globe

Pretty much anything around the house that is clear and can be sealed is able to be a snow globe. Mason jars are a common option, but I personally like to reuse salt and pepper (or other spice) shakers. Depending on the size of your globe, these can be used for just about anything, including christmas presents. Small ones can even be used as ornaments; just attach a ribbon or sturdy string to the top in a hoop.

My own globes will be listed for sale on my website.

Salt Shaker Snow Globe
What you will need:

• a salt shaker with the lid
• cotton stuffing
• something to put inside (I used a doll charm I made out of poly clay)
• glitter
• a hot glue gun and glue sticks
• decorations (ribbon, cloth to cover the lid, etc)

Step 1.  Carefully squeeze a generous amount of glue into the shaker. Make sure it only touches the bottom. Drop a chunk of cotton in and use a stick or pencil to stuff it down. If the stick gets stuck, carefully use another one to pry the material off before pulling it out. Let dry.

Step 2.  Add more glue on top of the cotton, then add your charm. Using tweezers can help you to position it. Let dry.

Step 3.  Fill with water, then add a decent amount of glitter.

Step 4.  Squeeze a good amount of glue into the inside of your shaker cap, making sure it fills the little holes. Then coat the insides of the shaker with glue and quickly screw or press it firmly onto the top of the shaker. Let dry.

Step 5.  Turn the shaker upside-down to check if water leaks. If it does, fill the leaking spots with glue to seal it.

Step 6.  Decorate your globe as you wish!