Nog-Champa

Eggs, cream and rum are a tricky equation and can make for a dangerous proposition. It’s like volunteering to bring a hollandaise sauce to a potluck. But done well, warm, spiced liquor can be the ultimate crowd pleaser. We kept this in mind a few weeks ago when we received a reader’s request for an egg nog recipe. “Deacon Bruno” writes…

Dear Knives,
I was looking through your archives and was hoping to find a recipe for a holiday-type spiked beverage. I thoroughly enjoy your hops patronage, but I was thinking you guys might be able to whip up a nice mulled wine or eggnog or cider. Something that would enable one to be dressed up and get messed up. And if you guys don’t have a recipe in your arsenal, I’d appreciate it if you sent me in the right direction. Without your guidance, I default to foodnetwork.com (which is actually pretty good). But I killed one time with your Apples in Apple Beer, so I was hoping for a repeat performance and maybe a recipe that could become part of my holiday blisskrieg.

Well, his email came on the same day we got invited to a holiday party so we gave nog a whirl, but decided to play it safe and clean by skipping the eggs and the cream. Though none of our friends cared much for the name, this is essentially a “nut nog,” made from almonds and coconut. Thickened with flour and almond butter and spiked with winter spices it actually reminded us more of champarrado, the traditional Mexican hot rice-milk bevy. Hence the ‘champ.’
Now, if you feel like taking this drink to the next level, we have included a simple recipe for making your own almond milk. It will be smoother and lighter than the store bought stuff, and makes for a really luxurious nog. If you want to experiment before taking the plunge (or just for kicks) our equation is one cup almonds to three cups water.
The final touch of course is copious amounts of booze, most nogs call for brandy and such. But we think bourbon tastes much much sweeter. Curl up into this or get dressed up and messed up!

1 can coconut milk
5 Tbs. almond butter (creamy, unsalted)
5 Tbs. flour (preferably graham or almond)
3 (32-oz) cartons almond milk**
2 fresh vanilla beans (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup agave nectar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups bourbon
1 whole nutmeg for grating
1. Start by making a sweet roux-like base with the fat and the flour: Use a large pot on medium heat, add the coconut milk and almond butter and whisk. Once the nut butter dissolves into the milk and heats a little, add the flour one tablespoon at a time and stir. You want a thick starchy mixture that will give creaminess to your finished product.
2. Now dump all your almond milk into the pot and bring to a high heat. As it heats, add the spices. If using fresh vanilla bean (yes, you’re worth it!) start by slicing them in half lengthwise in order to scoop out the seeds. Use a small pairing knife and a spoon to scrape the good stuff out. Add it to the pot, along with the halved pods (you’ll remove ’em later). Add ground cinnamon, cardamom and extra cinnamon sticks (you’ll remove them later too). Bring mixture to a near boil whisking occasionally.
3. Now taste your nog: If you want it sweeter add more agave, keeping in mind that some bourbons are sweeter than others. If the mixture seems too thin and it doesn’t taste like flour, feel free to add another tablespoon for thickening purposes.
4. Once the taste is where you want it, blend mixture using an immersion blender or traditional blender. You want a slightly fluffed, frothy texture so blend for several minutes. Add bourbon and mix again.
5. Serve hot with fresh grated nutmeg on top.

4 cups raw almonds
12 cups water
1. In a large bowl or stock pot, cover the almonds in the water.
2. Let sit overnight.
3. In batches, blend the almond with the water until smooth, then strain through a cheesecloth or a sprouting bag and voila! Almond milk! It keeps in the fridge for about a working week. You can save the stained solid matter for making pie crusts and other baked treats, but more on that later…