DF Eggnog [RECIPE]

I have been on a hunt for good eggnog. This is like a life-long goal of mine, because I know good eggnog exists, I've had it and love it, but  it seems to be so hard to find. Many commercial eggnogs taste like bubble gum to me (something about the sweeteners, I believe), so even before dairy was out of my life this was an adventure. I was all ready to try SoDelicious after getting great reviews (including from personal friends), but I also ran into some bad reviews saying it basically tasted lke coconut milk with nutmeg...definitely not what I was looking for. So, I hop online and start searching for recipes, and many people in ti dairy free circle have almost identical recipes, so I decided if this many people had the same idea it must be good. So I give it a try, and it's ok but still not quite right. I found the recipes too thin, not eggy enough, and surprisingly over spiced. So back to Google I go, searching for real eggnog recipes, and even creme anglaise for comparison. Research in hand, I made my second attempt and I am in love. This is a custardy, rich, smooth drink and I want to share the recipe with you all.

Dairy-Free Eggnog
(also soy-free; include tree nuts & egg)

Ingredients:
8 eggs, separated
2 ¼ c unsweetened macadamia milk
14.5oz or 400ml can coconut cream
⅔ c sugar + 2 Tbsp
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
dash allspice

Instructions:
Bring macadamia milk, coconut cream, vanilla, and spices to a simmer.
While your milk mixture is heating up, whisk together eggs & sugar.
Slowly temper milk mixture into egg mixture, drizzling about 1 cup of the milk mixture into your eggs before you pour the entire egg mixture back into your pot, whisking to combine.
Continue whisking over a simmer for 4-5 minutes, keeping temp low.

For a frothy & silky drink (optional):
Chill eggnog to at least room temperature
Beat eggs whites with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form
Whisk egg whites into eggnog

You do want to be careful while combining your milk & egg mixtures. Eggnog is essentially a loose custard, so you can break it. Overheating your eggs, or not allowing them to temper properly, can cause a grainy consistency. This can be fixed with an immersion blender, but you are better of keeping things low and slow.

Likewise, if you don't wait long enough to mix in your egg whites, your drink will also get clumpy. This is less likely due to having broken the custard, and I even had some difficulty with cold eggnog. Again you can easily correct this with an immersion blender.

Whether you choose to use the egg whites or not (it still tastes wonderful without them), you may notice your eggnog separates over time in the refrigerator. Just give it a quick stir before serving.

DF Veggie "Cream Cheese" Spread [RECIPE]

I've been craving a bagel with cream cheese, but there are some obvious hurdles: dairy allergy, and lack of goof fluffy bagels. My favorite bagel & cream cheese combo is from a little place in Marquette, Michigan called Third Street Bagel. They have the best veggie cream cheese ever, and their bagels are so light & fluffy, so they don't sit like stone weights in your stomach ;)

Locally, I've found 2 very good options for equally good bagels, Jake's Bagels & Deli in Aurora, IL and County Farm Bagels in Winfield, IL & Wheaton, IL. I had even figured out how to duplicate Third Street's veggie spread, but now I had to translate it to a dairy-free version. So I found a few recipes online, combined different pieces that I liked, adn the result is pretty good! I'm not sure I would like this spread without the veggies added, but as a whole it is delicious! It also works well for crackers!

Dairy-Free Veggie Cream Cheese Spread
1 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (or to taste)

1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper½ medium carrot, shredded
1 medium scallion (or small yellow onion), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ medium red bell pepper, diced
1 fresh dill sprig (or ½ Tbsp dried)


Soak cashews for at least 4 hours, or overnight. You could start with boiling water to speed up the soak time to 1-2 hours if you are in a rush. Rinse and gently dry cashews with paper towel  to remove excess water.

Using a high speed blender or food processor, blend the nuts, oils, lemon juice, and spices. This takes a while, and you will probably have to stop ans scrape down the sides of your blender or food processor a few times. Continue blending until you get a smooth consistency. Your mix may be a bit warm at this point, and personally I was not super impressed with the flavor, but don't be discouraged!

Add in your veggies. You can do this by hand or add to your blender/food processor (personally, I chopped everything up fine, but still added to my food processor). Allow to chill in refrigerator before eating, as the cold helps the texture set up and improves the flavor. The longer you can wait, the better it will taste as all those flavors meld together!

I've heard this type of mix lasts for about 1 week in the refrigerator. To be honest I'm moving into week 2 right now and have not notice any spoilage, but trust your instincts. This makes a hefty amount of spread, so you may want to cut the recipe down or freeze half of it for later (I haven't tested freezing it yet, but I've read some success stories & have frozen other cashew based creamy items such as mini cheesecakes).