How about some Holiday beverages?

**Although you could probably add alcohol to any of these recipes, those which specifically include it are in blue.

Last updated: Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Mango Lassi 1 cup of diced mango, about 1 large mango 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk 1 - 2 tbsn. sugar pinch of cardamom pistachios, chopped and toasted (optional) fresh raspberries (optional) Blend everything in a blender until well pureed. Serve and enjoy! I like to serve mine with fresh raspberries, but some chopped pistachios would be great also! Serves: 1

Cheesecake Milkshake 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 drop lemon extract Place all ingredients in a blender container. Cover and process on high until smooth. Pour into glasses. Refrigerate any leftovers. Ready in 5 min

Iced Coffee Latte 1/3 cup instant coffee granules ½ cup boiling water 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk) 2 cups cold water 1 quart cold low-fat chocolate milk Place coffee granules in bowl. Add boiling water and whisk. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk and cold water until completely blended. Pour coffee mixture into pitcher Add chocolate milk and stir. Chill for about an hour. Serve over ice

Vegan Eggnog 21 oz extra-firm silken tofu 2 cups soymilk 2/3 cup turbinado sugar, light brown sugar, or sucanat (or use ½ sup honey or 1 cup alternate liquid sweetener) 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup cold water 1 cup rum or brandy 4 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 20 ice cubes nutmeg 1. Place the crumbled tofu and soymilk in a blender with the sugar and salt. 2. Blend until very smooth. 3. Scrape this into a large bowl or pitcher, and whisk in the water, rum or brandy, and vanilla. 4. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until serving time. 5. To serve, blend half of the mixture in the blender with 10 of the ice cubes until frothy. Repeat with the other half. Serve in glasses with nutmeg sprinkled on top. This recipe makes 10 servings.

Easy Egg Nog (from the cookbook "Six Ingredients or Less") 1 (3 3/4 ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring 6 cups milk Nutmeg (Once I didn't have nutmeg, but used Pumpkin Pie Spice instead!) Using mixer on medium speed, combine pudding mix, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Gradually add milk, beating until thoroughly blended. Chill until ready to serve. Stir; pour into glasses and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Young Folks Christmas Wassail Bowl 1 cup brown sugar 12 whole cloves 2 Tbs. (or more) ground cinnamon 2 lemons, sliced thin 2 oranges, sliced thin 1 apple, sliced thin 1 gallon sweet cider 1 pint 7-Up or ginger ale Make syrup of brown sugar and 1 cup water; add cloves and cinnamon.  Simmer for 10 minutes; add fruit. Simmer for 10 minutes longer with cider; do not boil. Add 7-Up just before serving. Serve in mugs with cinnamon stick stirrer. Serve hot or cold. Yield: 20 ser

Christmas Wassail 1 gallon apple cider 25-30 whole cloves 6-10 cinnamon sticks 1 quart pineapple juice 1 6 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate Mix all ingredients in a large pot and simmer. Serve hot.Serves 8-12

Another Wassail 1 can of frozen cranberry juice 1 can of frozen apple juice 1 cup of orange juice, grapefruit juice or lemon juice or a combination of all three 1 cup of sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 12 whole cloves cheese cloth Make the frozen juices according to package directions and add to a large pot. Add the citrus juice and sugar. Place the cinnamon sticks and cloves in a cheese cloth a wrap them loosely. I use plastic twist ties to secure the cheese cloth. Place the cheese cloth into the pot and bring the liquid just to a boil then reduce heat to very low and let simmer for at least 2 hours....the longer it simmers the more the flavors blend. I usually double or even triple this recipe and store leftovers in plastic jugs in the fridge.

Red Punch 2 (46oz.) cans pineapple grapefruit juice ( 3 cups reserved for ice ring) 1/3 cup red cinnamon candies 1/3 cup sugar 1 qt. ginger ale, chilled Heat 1 cup pineapple grapefruit juice with cinnamon candies and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Combine heated mixture with remaining pineapple grapefruit juice, chill. Add the ginger ale just before serving.  Note:Pour some pineapple grapefruit juice into Jello ring and freeze for ice ring.

Spice Bags for Warm Winter Drinks 8 sticks cinnamon, broken into small pieces 2 whole nutmegs, crushed 1/3 cup whole cloves 1/3 cup minced dried orange peel (or 1/4 cup ground) 1/4 cup whole allspice berries optional: garnish with cinnamon sticks, slice of orange, lemon peel, Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, tie in sachets of 1 tablespoon each in a double thickness of cheesecloth; transfer to an airtight container. One sachet of the mixture will flavor 1 quart of cider, tea or wine.  To use, simmer 1 quart of the chosen beverage with 1 sachet for 20 minutes; ladle into mugs. If desired, add a garnish or a sprinkling of additional spirits.

Cocoa Mix 3 cups chocolate powdered drink mix (i.e. Nestle Quick) 2 cups sifted powdered sugar 1 - 11 oz. jar Cremora 10 cups powdered milk 1 bag mini marshmallows (varies according to the taste of gift recipient) Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Pour mix into jars or clear cellophane bags. Decorate jars or bags with fabric strips, bows, ribbons.....use your imagination! Attach a card with these simple directions: "Add 3 heaping tablespoons to a cup of hot water."

Cappuccino Mix 1 cup powdered instant non dairy creamer 1 cup chocolate-flavored drink mix 3/4 cup instant coffee (decaffeinated or regular) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container. It makes 3 1/2 cups. TO USE: Put 2 Tablespoons Cappuccino Mix in the bottom of a mug. Pour 6 ounces boiling water over it and stir until smooth. You can garnish with shaved chocolate and whipped cream if you desire.

Coffee Parfait 2 Tbs (30 ml) cornstarch (cornflour) 3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar A pinch of salt 2 Tbs (30 ml) milk 2 egg yolks, beaten 1 cup strong black coffee or espresso 1+1/2 cups (375 ml) whipping cream Additional whipped cream for topping Ground cinnamon Combine all ingredients except for the whipping cream in a saucepan and hold over another pot of simmering water. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. Whip the cream until it is light but not stiff and fold into the coffee mixture. Serve in parfait cups or stemmed wine glasses and top with additional whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon. Serves 4 to 6..

Cantaloupe Smoothie 1/2 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks 1 cup (250 ml) skim milk 1 cup (250 ml) unflavored or vanilla fat-free yogurt 1 cup (250 ml) crushed ice 2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar, or to taste Combine all ingredients in an electric blender and process until smooth. Serves 2.

Real Egg Nog** 6 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 pint heavy cream 1 pint milk 1 pint whiskey, bourbon, brandy, or rum*  Nutmeg Beat separately yolks and whites of eggs. Add 1/2 cup sugar to yolks while beating (also add the liquor here). Add 1/4 cup of sugar to whites AFTER they are beaten VERY STIFF. Mix whites with yolks by hand&Stir in Cream and milk&Mix all in a punch bowl and dip into cups using the nutmeg for a garnish. This recipe is best if made in separate batches if more is needed. * More liquor can always be added after fully mixed... much harder to remove... so try the pint first.

White Christmas Cocktail** 1 cup gin 1/2 pint whipping cream 1 cup half & half 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Cream soda pop Red and Green Maraschino Cherries Mix ingredients in a shaker bottle, and shake for 2 or 3 minutes (don't use a blender because it will make the mixture too foamy and thick). Chill for 2 to 3 hours. This doesn't taste good by itself, but to serve, pour 1 ounce (a shot glass) in an 8 to 12 ounce stemmed glass or tumbler, and carefully fill glass with cream soda. This will cause the creamy mixture to foam up, and looks great garnished with red & green (for the holidays) maraschino cherries. I have also used different names for the drink for different holidays, and occasionally used food dye to make the cream mixture different colors. i.e.: at Halloween, the drinks get called "Ghosts", or if I dye them orange, Pumpkins.

Champagne Cocktail** 1 sugar cube A dash of Angostura bitters A twist of lemon peel 6 fl oz (180 ml) chilled champagne, sparkling white wine, or sparkling white grape juice Place the sugar cube, bitters, and lemon twist in the bottom of a champagne glass. Add the champagne. Serves 1

Puerto Rican Coquito** 1. 2 cups coconut MILK * 2. 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar 3. 1/8 tsp. salt 4. 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 5. 2 egg yokes 6. 2 cups white Puerto Rican Rum Put the sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg yokes and 1/2 c. of coconut milk in a blender. Blend until sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the coconut milk and blend again. Pour the entire mixture into an enamel pot and bring JUST to a low boil.   Stirring, remove from heat and let cool. Add rum and stir thoroughly to completely blend the flavors.  Bottle and chill well before serving in very small liquor glasses with a dusting of cinnamon. This should yield about 4 cups. * Buy FROZEN milk in supermarket, or crack and pry the meat from a fresh coconut, add half the amount of warm water as coconut meat, place in food processor, process 2 - 3 minutes. Let it cool and then squeeze half the mixture through cheese cloth, then second half. If you do not get 2 cups, add water to what you have to make the required coconut milk.

Gluhwein** [German warmed wine] Boil approximately 10 cloves, and two sticks of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in 8 oz. boiling water for approximately 5 minutes. Add four cups of red wine. Remove cloves & cinammon sticks. Pour into in clear mugs. Add a stick of cinnamon in each glass and serve.

Pudding Shots 1 cup milk 1/2 cup Irish cream liqueur (eg. Bailey's®) 1/2 cup vodka (eg. Smirnoff®) 1 (4 serving size) package instant chocolate pudding mix 1 tub of cool whip Whisk together the milk, Irish cream liqueur, vodka, and instant pudding mix in a bowl until combined. Continue whisking for 2 minutes. Fold in the whip cream, do not whisk it. Spoon the pudding mixture into shot glasses or disposable 'party shot' cups. Chill until set, about 30 minutes. The shots will have the consistency of mousse. As others have noted - a tub of Cool Whip is also necessary for this recipe. I have used regular or Extra Creamy and both work fine! I've also used 1% milk and no taste difference. And I only use 3/4 cup of milk at that. I've never adjusted other amounts even if I've used larger box of pudding. Don't limit yourself to Irish Cream and Vokda for alcohol choices. Sub out the Vodka for things like coffee liqueur (like Starbucks) or even Gold Schlagger. Some combos that are fantastic: - Choc Pud + 1/2 c. Blackberry Schnapps + 1/4 c. Vodka -OR-- Choc w/ Caramel Chips Pud + 1/2 c. Caramel Baileys + 1/4 c. Starbucks Liquor --OR-- Oreo Pudding + 1/2 c. Reg Baileys + 1/4 c. Vodka --OR--Butterscotch Pudding + 1/2 c.Baileys + 1/8 c. Goldschlagger (it's too strong to use more) -- OR -- Pumpkin Pud + 1/2 c. Caramel Baileys + 1/4 c. Starbucks Liquor The sky is the limit on combinations!!!

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