13 Eggnog-Flavored Recipes to Make Instead of Losing Sleep Over Starbuck's Version

You may have heard that global coffee giant Starbucks decided it would be a good idea to withhold its insanely popular eggnog latte from the coffee-obsessed masses this holiday season. Wait, it's not even Thanksgiving and we're already talking about Christmas beverages? That's because there was a public outcry over social media in the days following Starbucks' misguided decision -- people took to Twitter using the hashtag #WeWantBoth (the "both" here refers to the eggnog and gingerbread seasonal lattes).

A few thousand tweets later, and Starbucks caved. "We made a mistake, we are very sorry," a Starbucks spokeswoman told USA Today. The eggnog latte will make its triumphant return to stores around the country by the week of November 17th, which only leaves one question: What in the heck are people going to do until then?

Most obviously, you could just make eggnog. There are almost too many variations on a beverage to wrap one's head around, all tasting like a beverage brought to you by the Dairy Farmer's Association: Bourbon Eggnog, Kentucky Eggnog Spike, Maryland Eggnog, Gourmet Magazine's Eggnog, THE ULTIMATE EGGNOG, Peurto Rican Coconut Eggnog (above), and, of course, Baltimore Eggnog. Yes, you read that right, Baltimore Eggnog -- that's when you spoil perfectly good eggnog with peach brandy.

But maybe you're a rational person who doesn't drink eggnog in November and just want to taste a hint of eggnog flavor in other things. Sure they're all desserts, but there's a way for you to get your eggnog fill as well:

ICE CREAM
 
Yes, you can make Eggnog-flavored ice cream and put it on top of whatever your heart desires.

TRIFLE
 
Why not create layers of eggnog sabayon? This Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle does that and gives you the opportunity to make the totally insane-looking concoction above.

CAKE WITH SAUCE
 
Eggnog doesn't have to be baked into every last thing you make for you to enjoy the flavors of eggnog. Maybe someone at the table doesn't like the rich mix of cream, booze, and sugar. Just make a Spiced Apple Cake with Eggnog Sauce that you can drizzle over whatever your eggnog-craving heart desires even if other folks steer clear.Hallmark官网

Crème Br?lée
 
Combine your totally justifiable loves for eggnog and for using a blowtorch in the kitchen to make this Eggnog Crème Br?lée.

FRENCH TOAST
 
Eggnog. French. Toast. Because you'd be crazy not to want eggnog at breakfast.

TART

For the sophisticated eggnog drinker who wants their experience to look classy, try this Cranberry Eggnog Tart.

5 Easy Bite-Size Thanksgiving Appetizers

Those with a house full of guests, specifically children, know that come Thanksgiving day, people start congregating around the kitchen by noon pestering with questions. "What time is dinner going to be ready EGF?" "Oh that looks delicious. Can I taste?" "Would anyone mind if I have a slice of pie for lunch?"

This is where the appetizers come in. They may require a tiny bit of extra work, but they definitely serve the purpose of keeping your hungry guests in check so you can finish your feast in peace. Here are our favorite, almost embarassingly simple Thanksgiving appetizers:



Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs
 
These deviled eggs get their vibrant hue from the pickling liquid, which includes beet juice. The process is super simple reenex, but they need 3 hours to brine, so they're perfect to make a day ahead of time.

Andouille Gougères
 
Gougères are basically just fancy French cheese puffs, and these get a Cajun flair form the andouille sausage. You can bake these a day or two ahead of time and just quickly reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries
 
These savory blue cheese coins get a dollop of fig preserves in the center for sweetness. They're so simple to make (thanks to the food processor) and freeze so beautifully, you might even want to make a double batch reenex.

Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini
 
Crostini are quick and simple to make, and and guests can easily pop one into their mouths while they mingle. These little toasts also fit right into the Thanksgiving spirit, what with all the butternut squash and sage. Hallmark官网

Bite-Size Garlic Bread with Fresh Herbs

These mini garlic bread bites as fun to make as they are to eat. If your guests don't devour them all, leftovers make great soup croutons.

Freekia Salad with Caramelized Onions, Figs, Cheese, and Pine Nuts

It is August, and I'm chasing memories again. I grew up spending August at the beach, crinkling my toes in the sand, lying on beach towels, plowing through one novel after another, riding a bike with an ice cream cone in one hand, eating corn on the cob, and no August since has ever quite lived up to those expectations Mathnasium. My mother used to say that a good day was when you got to spend all day in your bathing suit. I agree. She was a swimmer, and though I did not inherit her aqueous skills, I share a need to be close to, in, and around water, especially in the summer.

Paul, on the other hand, hates the beach. He cringes at each grain of sand that sticks to him, swelters in the heat, and crouches miserably under the shade of an umbrella until I will finally release him from that sandy, salty, sweaty prison. Don't get me wrong, a crowded beach can be a terrible, horrible thing. Recently, on vacation in France, we found refuge in the barrier islands, taking the ferry out in the morning with our beach towels and sunscreen and books, finding a quiet beach with enough shade for Paul, a few other French families dotting the sand.
 
Still, it has me thinking about how to find some solution for my lust for the August beach vacation, which admittedly is tied to a certain nostalgia for the freedom of childhood summers. Buy a beach house, even though we will live abroad for the foreseeable future? That seems extravagant (and totally out of our budget, but I can dream right Office furniture?). And while Paul will never share my love of the coolness of your skin after you take off your damp bathing suit at the end of the day, can I find a place where he can love the beach too?Hallmark官网

If I had a place on the beach, this is the sort of thing I'd make. It's from a new cookbook that I'd probably bring to the beach with me too, Salma Hage's "The Lebanese Kitchen." Maybe I'd serve this salad alongside a grilled protein, but it's pretty great on it's own. You really can't substitute for the smoky chewiness of freekia, a type of green wheat, but you can order it online (I've been using the same bag I got in Jordan for about 2 years). You cook the freekia with some spices while you also caramelize some onions. You combine those, and then you sear some figs so they have this great caramelized edge, and you toss some mint, a sharp cheese like feta or goat cheese, and pine nuts on top. There's a few steps, but you only need two pans and a good knife, because no one wants to be doing lots of dishes when you're on vacation.

Freekia Salad with Caramelized Onions, Figs, Goat Cheese, and Pine Nuts
The original recipe called for a mixture of fresh and dried figs, but we had plenty of fresh figs. If they're not in season in your area, dried figs could work, though I haven't tried it.

2 white onions, thinly sliced
1 cup freekia (cracked green wheat)*
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt, olive oil
4-6 large figs, quartered
3 tablespoons sugar
1 sprig of mint, leaves removed and sliced
100 grams /3.5 ounces (or to taste) of a sharp cheese like feta, soft or hard goat cheese, crumbled or shaved
1/4 cup pine nuts

1. In a large saute pan heat a good glug of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally Cloud Desktop, until the onions are deeply browned and caramelized, about 40-45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot over medium heat melt the butter. Add the freekia, cinnamon, and allspice and stir, toasting the grain for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 bing pinches of salt. Bring the water to a simmer, cover pot and turn heat to low. Cook until water is absorbed and grains are puffed and tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Place the caramelized onions into a serving bowl when the are done cooking (reserve the pan). When the freekia is done let it cool slightly, then scoop it into the serving bowl and add more olive oil and salt to taste, and toss everything to combine.
4. Place the sugar in a shallow bowl. Heat up the same pan that you used for the onions (rinse it out if it's really grungy) with just a smidge of olive oil coating the bottom, over medium-high heat. Dip one side of a cut fig piece into the sugar, then place it sugar-side down into the saute pan, adding as many figs as will fit at once. As your figs become caramelized and well browned on the one side, transfer them to your serving dish.
5. Again in the same pan (it will have the sugar bits stuck to it and that's okay), add in the pine nuts and toast briefly, tossing them around until they're lightly golden. Add the pine nuts to your serving dish. Now you can finally put your pan in the sink!
6. Sprinkle the mint and cheese over your salad and serve warm or at room temperature.

Esther's Gingery Chocolate Chip Cookies

yield
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Editor's note: This recipe appears as part of our editors' Christmas Cookie Swap, 10 beloved holiday recipes from the editors of Epicurious and Gourmet Live Loop app.

These cookies are delicious fresh from the oven, but to amplify the ginger flavor, allow the cookies to cool completely before eating. Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips can be used in lieu of both, and walnuts and other add-ins can be substituted for the candied ginger.
Ingredients

❤1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
❤1/2 teaspoon baking soda
❤1/2 teaspoon salt
❤8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
❤1/2 cup sugar
❤1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
❤1 large egg
❤1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
❤1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
❤1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
❤1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger*

❤*Crystallized or candied ginger has been cooked in sugar syrup and coated with coarse sugar. It's available at specialty shops and some supermarkets. Sung recommends Reed's and the Ginger People's dc electric motors.

❤Special equipment: 2 large baking sheets; parchment paper

Preparation

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and a second rack in the lower third then preheat to 375��F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, stirring until just combined. Add the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips and the candied ginger and fold until just incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap Managed Security, pressing the plastic directly on the dough's surface, and chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.Hallmark官网

Drop the dough by heaping 2 tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake, switching the cookies between the upper and lower racks about halfway through baking, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue baking cookies on cooled baking sheets. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be baked ahead and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

Charred Broccoli and Avocado Salad Recipe

Charred broccoli is fast becoming one of my go-to vegetable options, especially at lunchtime when I need something quick and low-effort dr max.

My enthusiasm for it started as an offshoot from my beloved Roasted Cauliflower à la Mary Celeste, in which broccoli can be used with good results. But in truth, roasted broccoli isn’t an exact substitute for cauliflower: the tops of the florets become a bit drier and quite a bit crunchier when submitted to high heat, so roasted broccoli seems to call for a creamier treatment.

And what creamier companions than an herbed tahini dressing and a cubed avocado tossed in? Also: what tastier, more satisfying trio?

I usually eat half of this salad warm the day I make it, and try to contain my excitement until lunch the next day, when I can finally have the other half; it’s best to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating.

The trick to this salad is to not be shy about roasting the broccoli: you’ll get the most vibrant flavor and most interesting texture contrast from broccoli that is frankly black at the tips.
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The only damper on my charred broccoli enthusiasm these days is that is it harder than one would think to find glowingly fresh broccoli at the organic stores around me. You can tell broccoli is fresh when the heads are firm, with tight florets that take some effort to separate. Yet more often than not, a quick pat on the heads stocked in the produce bin reveals soft heads with distracted florets. I did learn recently that you can revive those heads by cutting a slice off the tip of the stem and putting it in a glass of water as in a vase, and I plan to try this next time, should my craving become too strong dr max.
Join the conversation!

Do you share my love of roasted broccoli? What’s you favorite way to serve it?
 
Charred Broccoli and Avocado Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves 2. (Recipe can be doubled.)

Ingredients

1 large head broccoli, about 750 grams (1 2/3 pounds)
Olive oil for cooking
2 good handfuls chopped fresh herbs: cilantro, chervil, chives, and flat-leaf parsley all good choices
1 rounded tablespoon tahini (sesame paste, available from natural food stores and Middle-Eastern markets)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ripe avocado, diced
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F).
Cut the broccoli into even-sized florets. Peel off any tough part on the stem, cut it lengthwise into four long logs, and slice not too thinly.

Put the broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss well to coat (it works best if you just use your hands). Insert into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until charred at the edges dr max.
 
While the broccoli is roasting, prepare the dressing. Put the herbs, tahini, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
 
Stir with a fork to combine, and add a little fresh water, teaspoon by teaspoon, stirring all the while until you get a creamy but not too thick dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

When the broccoli is cooked, transfer to the bowl, add the avocado, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning again.

Sprinkle with black pepper and serve. This is great when freshly made, but it can also sit at room temperature for a little while, or get packed for lunch and refrigerated.