Author: Chase

Drinks, Holidays, Recipes

Aged Eggnog: A Solstice Tradition

by ChaseLeave a Comment on Aged Eggnog: A Solstice Tradition

Every couple years, depending on how many guests we have for the holidays and generally how well things are going in the world, we make aged eggnog in early November. It’s a ridiculous affair – a whole dozen eggs, a whole quart of milk, a whole pint of bourbon and then some… But the end result is one of our favorite warming winter drinks. In 2019 we made a batch for a solstice party we were throwing (aged about a month), plus enough to age till 2020 and 2021. The party was so fun and the eggnog so delicious that we ended up drinking all the batches that night, and everyone made us promise to share the recipe in time for this winter, so here we are. We filmed the process for our instagram last year – you can now watch it on our YouTube channel with a jaunty new soundtrack (and while you’re at it don’t forget to like & subscribe). Check out the full recipe below.

Ingredients:

12 large egg yolks (freeze those whites in an ice cube tray for baking with later)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 liter bourbon
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1/2 cup dark rum
pinch of kosher salt

Method:

In an extremely large bowl, beat the yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. 
Transfer into clean mason jars.

Age for at least 30 days, or up to 3 years in the fridge. Yes, this will keep all that time, even with the raw eggs and dairy – the alcohol and sugar content is high enough that no bacteria will grow. After 30 days it still has a lot of bite, but after one year it mellows considerably. The second year is our personal favorite – it mellows even further and develops a lot of depth. In the third year it definitely get some funk, but in a really pleasant and complex way. Don’t be afraid!

Recipes, Sweets

Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Cake

by ChaseLeave a Comment on Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Cake

Summertime means just one thing if you’re an avid gardener: more summer squash than you know what to do with. This year we started four seedlings, they got their first flowers at about a month old, and now at two months on we’re pulling a massive zucchini almost every day. We’re sharing them with all our neighbors but we still can’t keep up! I’m about to go on a pinning spree for recipes and preservation methods, but one tried and true method to use up a couple extra zukes is to make some zucchini bread. We did some experimenting with olive oil cake and thought zucchini would make a nice addition and keep it from being too crumbly, and man were we right! Instead of zesting some lemon rind, it’s super easy to use lemon olive oil to impart a super bright flavor. You could glaze this cake with a little lemon icing, or top it with powdered sugar, but we love it just the way it is, and it never lasts long in our house. Hope it helps you use up a glut of summer produce!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs (we often use duck eggs instead of chicken eggs)
300 mls lemon olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
270g white sugar
280g grated zucchini
390g all-purpose flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and grease and flour a bundt pan.

Use the large side of a box grater (or a food processor) to grate a couple zucchini. You’ll need 280 grams, so if you end up with extra use it to make zucchini pancakes or to bulk out a pasta sauce.

In a large bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients, then fold in the grated zucchini and the dry ingredients until incorporated – don’t overmix or your cake will be tough.

Pour into your prepared bundt pan, tap it on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles, and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cracks that form comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before turning the cake out, and enjoy!