Favorite Holiday Drinks
I was wondering what are your favorite holiday drinks. I'm trying to think of some to serve at a cocktail party. I like eggnog spiked with bourbon.
DeeDee
Dec 17, 2002 09:13AM
28 Replies so Far
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Champagne with pomegranate juice. Jewel-like and very festive (and tasty).
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Didn't know if I put this post here, or under the Rum Cider thread below. Anyway...
What is Rum Cider? Is it just warmed cider with rum? If so, what kind of rum, light or dark? What other liquor might you put in warm cider?
Is "Hot Buttered Rum" a completely different drink?
Now for the really dumb one -- I have to make hot chocolate for 40 next week. I don't like it, and have never made it. I assume it's just warm milk with chocolate powder stirred in? Am I missing something?
Any and all help would be much appreciated in assisting me the the holiday spirit :')
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Hi Pappy -- the difference here may be in semantics. "Hot Chocolate" is chocolate melted and beaten into milk. "Hot Cocoa" is milk with cocoa powder in it. There are many methods for both. Also, both drinks have their fans. I don't much care for cocoa, but chocolate is a rather different, and, to my mind, much better drink.
Here's a recipe for Chocolate that can be served hot or cold. It's from The Joy of Cooking 1937 edition, and I make it often. This recipe increases well, so if you're making it for 40 I'd multiply everything by a factor of 10.
This recipe below makes 4 large cups. You may want to make this in two batches. It's a bit fussy but it's very good.
1 1/2 ounces chocolate (I use unsweetened)
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup of sugar (you can increase this up to 1/2 cup depending on how sweet you want it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk, scalded
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt the chocolate over a very low flame or in a double boiler. Add sugar and salt and stir until smooth. Add the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Add the milk and boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Beat with a wire wisk until frothy. Serve hot in cups or cold over crushed ice.
I also have a recipe for French hot chocolate, in which you make a ganache-like substance first with chocolate, corn syrup, and cream, divide the thick mixture between 10 cups, and then pour hot milk over that and stir to mix. Let me know if you'd like that one and I'll post it too.
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Whatever hot chocolate recipe you use, I recommend you bring the cream/milk/water to a simmer, put it in a giant rented blender, add the chopped chocolate and the other ingredients, and let'er rip. Then put it back in the pot on low to keep warm.
I always made my hot chocolate in my blender, and now I use a stick blender.
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>>put it in a giant rented blender>>
I wondered why you had to use a "rented" blender, then decided you meant "vented," right?
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A "giant rented blender." Cuz he's making hot chocolate for 40. Course, you can always do it in batches. Doesn't vented blender=hot chocolate-coated walls? [g] (Oh, don't worry, I know you were thinking of a vent for the motor.)
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Yeah. At 6 ounces per person, a total of 240 ounces, that's still going to be several batches in a gallon-sized blender.
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As I posted a few weeks ago...everyone should have an immersion blender. They're not expensive, and the few times a year that you need one, they're invaluable. This...is one of those times.
In my opinion, pouring and mixing several batchs of hot milk in a blender would be extremely inconvenient, messy and down right dangerous.
Thanks all!
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I do use an immersion blender when I make a cup or two, but I can't imagine it being adequate to liquify 4 pounds of chocolate into 2 gallons of hot milk.
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I think if I slowly pour the melted chocolate into the warm milk, directly into the path of the blender, it should work. I hope.
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Watch out with the hot stuff in the giant rented blender! Back in my restaurant days I filled the giant blender with hot soup and held the top down. A head of steam formed and when I turned the giant blender on hot soup exploded outward -- fortunately my face was averted but I spent the rest of the day in the emergency ward with some nasty second degree burns.
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aaahh...hot buttered rum, my favorite winter drink. I usually simmer good cider with some whole spices like cloves and cinnamon sticks for a few hours. Then get rid of the spices (and store the cider until serving time if you want). When you're ready to serve, melt a good deal of butter in the cider and keep it warm on the stove. Guests pour some good, dark rum into their mugs, and top with the spiced, buttered cider.
(If you put the rum directly in warm pot of cider, the alcohol will eventually evaporate, so I like the above method for parties that are going to last several hours).
Dan
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Hi, Bill!
Hot Buttered Rum and rum with cider are two completely separate drinks.
I do hot buttered rum by making a butter and sugar mixture (I use brown sugar) that I can portion out into mugs as I go - add rum and then just-boiled water. The rum and cider concoction I do is just warmed cider added to a mug with rum and a cinnamon stick (sometimes I put a little nutmeg, clove and maybe cardamom in the pan of cider as it warms to spice it gently).
I happen to love hot chocolate when made with good chocolate or cocoa. Consider seeking out some of the Mexican chocolate made to swirl into hot milk (hopefully someone can give you more info on this) - it has a touch of cinnamon in it. I'm interested in trying the recipe posted from the old Joy of Cooking book now!
If your party is an adult one, consider providing some peppermint schnapps as an additive (it's like a peppermint patty!), or maybe an orange liqueur or anything else that you think will spike your hot chocolate to your tastes. Definitely have some softly whipped cream to top the drinks.
I'm ready for some really cold weather now....
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I almost always spike my hot chocolate. Favorite additions are Grand Marnier or Cointrou, Kahlua, Amaretto, Frangelico, Cognac. It's all good (one at a time, please!).
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AHHHHH..... peppermint schnapps in my hot chocolate.
All time guilty pleasure (emphasis on the pleasure)
jake
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Never thought of spiking hot chocolate - don't know why not! Think I'll add a little Bailey's to mine next time I have it. Sounds yummy! D.
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On cold winter nights, which we have avoided pretty well so far, I end my evening with hot cider with a shot of bourbon. Sleep like a baby.
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I made Sara Moulton's champagne punch (on foodtv.com) for a holiday party last year, and people are still talking about it. I have not been able to have a party without it since, everytime I try (not that I really want to go without either, I just like to mix thing up) people get really upset. I will be serving it for new Year's eve this year.
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Rusty Nails -- perfect for sipping while trimming the tree and easily made in batches. 3 to 1 blended scotch to Drambuie, stirred with ice and served on the rocks. Sometimes garnished with a lemon twist.
Cheers,
Xochitl10
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My version of Wassail:
One quart fresh Apple Cider
1 bottle Honey Mead
a sachet of spices to include cinnamon, cardamom, whole clove, etc.
1/2 very thinly sliced lemon
1/2 very thinly sliced orange
whole cinnamon sticks
Put everything in a pot on the stove. Warm SLIGHTLY (do not let the alcohol burn off). Serve, making sure that each serving has a fruit slice in each glass and/or a cinnamon stick.
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What is honey mead exactly and where do you get it? I thought that it was vaguely medieval.
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It *was* a Medieval beverage but is still available at larger liquor and wine stores ~ usually near the specialty and sweet wines like Elderberry Wine, Raspberry Wine, Port, etc. It is a nothing other than a nice wine made from honey instead of grapes. I usually by a brand called Chaucer's Mead and they include a little spice packet on the bottle. Generally runs in the $15.00 range.
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Yum, thanks. I'm going to look for it and try your wassail recipe. Is honey mead also drinkable by itself?
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Absolutely. Drink as you would wine. But look out for those mead headaches!
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"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote,the droghte of March hath perced to the roote."
Had to memorize the 18 page introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in Middle English in prep school and have never forgotten it!
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On a cold rainy night two nights ago here in SF I had a "Hot Port" in an Irish bar and it really did the trick.
It was basically Port, hot water, a clove-studded wedge of lemon, as far as I could tell.
I had three. :-)
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Hot Hard Cider in a crock pot with some cinnimon sticks, orange peels and a good gulg of contreau, the longer it sits the better it gets.
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At any time of the year and especially when it is cold I love steamed milk with Bailey's...someone once called it a Hot Angel back in my waitron days
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