NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2005
Festive Holiday Cocktails
Tori Ritchie Offers Recipes And Tips For Holiday Spirits
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Play CBS Video Video Holiday Cocktail Drinks The holidays aren't just about festive food. A good cocktail can also set the right tone for your party. Cookbook author Tori Ritchie offers some ideas on "The Early Show."
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Tori Ritchie and The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm<.i> with holiday drinks (CBS/The Early Show)
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In The Spotlight "Five-Minute Cooking School" Try the recipes from The Early Show and Williams-Sonoma
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Interactive Winter Holidays Reasons for the season, lights, decorations, gifts, movies and more.
Here, eggnog is topped with sweetened whipped cream and freshly ground spices.
1 or 2 whole nutmegs
1 cinnamon stick
12 egg yolks
4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brandy, Cognac, rum or bourbon
Using a nutmeg grater or the smallest rasps on a handheld grater-shredder, grate the nutmeg until you have about 1 tsp. In a spice grinder or a coffee grinder reserved for spices, grind the cinnamon stick. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, 2 cups of the milk and 1 cup of the sugar. Place over low heat and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining 2 cups milk and let cool.
In a bowl, using a handheld mixer or whisk, whip the cream with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the vanilla until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Strain the cooled mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and pour into a serving pitcher or a small punch bowl. Stir in the brandy. Serve the eggnog in cups or glasses, topped with a dollop of the whipped cream and a sprinkle each of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Serves 8 to 10. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Christmas Entertaining, by Georgeanne Brennan (Simon & Schuster, 2005).
Holiday Coffee with Spiced Whipped Cream: Who doesn't love an adult version of this caffeinated drink? This recipe uses mulling spices, the ones traditionally bought to prepare mulled wine or cider recipe, but uses them instead in the whipped cream. The scents of these spices will make anyone feel more in the holiday spirit. Ritchie shows how to create the whipped cream as well as top off a delicious cup of coffee.
1 cup heavy cream
4 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. sugar
3 Tbs. mulling spices
3 cups freshly brewed hot coffee
4 oz. brandy
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, 2 Tbs. of the sugar and the mulling spices. When the cream starts to bubble around the edges, remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour. Using a whisk, beat the cream mixture until stiff peaks form.
Divide the coffee and brandy among 4 large coffee mugs or bowls, add 2 tsp. sugar to each and stir to combine. Top each with a large dollop of the spiced whipped cream and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
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