Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Turn everybody's favorite creamy, sweet holiday beverage into Xmas Eggnog Fudge with this simple recipe your friends and family are sure to love. It's perfect as a holiday gift or to take on the road for when you need an eggnog fix.

One of my favorite recipes for the holidays is my grandmother's homemade eggnog.  She always made enough for a houseful, starting with a gallon of milk and almost one dozen large eggs. 

I remember one of my last Christmases at home, following her around the kitchen as she made a batch, writing down the ingredients and her steps. Just four ingredients for a thick, rich, wonderful eggnog. When I got back to my house, I copied it out more neatly into a blank leaf at the back of my Good Housekeeping. I didn’t want to lose it.

I tend to halve the recipe for our smaller household and that still makes plenty. Mo’s homemade eggnog is always served warm with a splash of some strong stuff, either bourbon or rum. 

We also always have store-bought eggnog on hand because we like to drink it cold, spiked or not, and use it in baked goods like my streusel coffee cake, eggnog pound cake, muffins and mousse or homemade candy, like this Xmas eggnog fudge. 

I think it would be fair to say that we are huge fans of The Nog. Hope you are too!

Xmas Eggnog Fudge

Abject apologies for the lack of process photos for this recipe. The lighting was terrible and shots of the pot on the stove would genuinely not have been helpful to include. Make sure you use a timer and a candy thermometer and follow the instructions. You’ll be fine. (Any questions? Leave me a comment.)

Ingredients

2 3⁄4 cups or 550g sugar

1 cup or 240ml commercial good quality eggnog (NOT low fat)

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces or 170g white chocolate, chopped roughly (Use good quality- not baking chocolate or chips)

1 1⁄2 cups or 85g mini marshmallows

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup or 150g almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely

1⁄8 cup or 30g butter (Do not substitute margarine!)

Freshly grated or powdered nutmeg for decoration. 

Method

Line a 9x9-inch 23x23cm pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the eggnog, sugar and salt, bring to a slow rolling boil over medium to med-high heat. Do not walk away from the pot. If it threatens to boil over, turn the heat down just a little bit. You still need a rapid boil. Set a timer for 2 minutes when it starts to boil.

When the timer rings, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the marshmallows and cinnamon.

Put the pot back on the stove and bring it back to a rolling boil and set the timer for 6 minutes. 

Put your candy thermometer in the pot. The temperature should reach at least 234°F or 112°C but no higher than 238°F or 114°C. Then the pot should be removed from the heat.

When the 6-minute timer rings or the mixture reaches the proper temperature, whichever happens first, remove the pot from the stove and stir in the butter, white chocolate and chopped almonds.

Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate have melted and are completely incorporated and the mixture has a glossy appearance. 

Pour it into your prepared foil-lined pan and quickly sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Leave to cool completely at room temperature. 

To cut, remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the foil lining out and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. It’s very rich so you can cut them quite small. 

You can put the squares in little candy liners to serve (or gift) or stack them on a decorative plate. 

Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 24th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter X. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the X recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Brothless Ramen with XO Sauce 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Chicken Xacuti 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni:Mushroom Xacuti 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: X’s & O’s (Hugs & Kisses) Brown Sugar Cookies
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Xavier Soup 
• Blogghetti: Xiaodianxin - Eggless Chinese Butter Cookies 
• Food Lust People Love: Xmas Eggnog Fudge 
• Culinary Cam: Xoconostle Tartlets 
• Magical Ingredients: Xoconostle Xnipec Paratha 
• A Messy Kitchen: Xoi - Vietnamese Sticky Rice 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Xylocarp Cocktail 

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge -  this post!

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Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Stuffed Turkey Cutlets are a fun, attractive way to serve turkey and stuffing. Each person gets an individual stuffed “turkey” wrapped in bacon. This recipe is great main dish for a low stress party. No more wondering if the turkey is perfectly done. It is! 

Personally, we like stuffing all year long, not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I often find myself frying sausage meat and mixing it up to roast under chicken thighs, as a filling for squash or occasionally, just baking it in a pan as a side dish. 

You will find the ingredient list and method below for the stuffing I make over and over again but please feel free to use your favorite recipe here as well. I know that for some families their own treasured stuffing recipe cannot be changed! 

Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Cutlets or escalopes of turkey can be found at most grocery stores these days. While they are more expensive per pound than a whole turkey, not a bit will go to waste. And look at how pretty they are! 

Ingredients

For the sausage stuffing:

7 1/2 oz or 215g good quality fresh sausage (3-4 links)

6-7 slices stale bread, toasted and cubed

1/3 cup or 75g butter

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 1/2 cups or 180ml turkey or chicken stock

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large egg

To assemble:

10 turkey cutlets (approx. weight 2 1/2 lbs or 1135g) 

10 slices smoked bacon

toothpicks

For decoration – optional

20 fresh sage leaves

10 fresh cranberries

toothpicks

Method

Cube the bread and add it to a large bowl that all the stuffing ingredients will fit in, with room to stir.

Remove the sausage from the casings and fry until golden in a skillet, breaking it into crumbles as you go. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and remove all but a tablespoon of any rendered fat. 

Add the butter to the frying pan and turn the heat on low. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter until it’s soft and translucent. 

Add the poultry seasoning, a few generous grinds of black pepper, and the 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and mix well. 

Add the onion mixture to the bowl with the bread. 

Add the crumbled fried sausage back in and stir. Now add the broth and stir again.

 

Set the stuffing aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, put the turkey cutlets, one at a time, between two large pieces of cling film on a cutting board and use the side of your rolling pin or a similar implement to flatten them out. 

Use new pieces of cling film for each turkey cutlet and set them in a stack, still between the cling film till you’ve pounded them all flat. 

Add the egg to the cooled stuffing and mix well. 

Lay one turkey cutlet on your working surface. Remove the top piece of cling film and discard. Put about 1/10th of the stuffing into the middle of the turkey cutlet and fold the sides over to cover it securely. 

Roll each of the stuffed turkey cutlets up in the bottom piece of cling film and line them up to chill on a plate in the refrigerator as you get them each made.

 

Once they are all made, preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. 

Remove the cling film from each cutlet and wrap them with one slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks and place in a large baking pan. 

Roast in your preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and center of the stuffing reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C.

If desired, decorate each stuffed cutlet by securing two sage leaves and a fresh cranberry with a toothpick. Remove the other toothpicks to serve.

Of course, the pan drippings can used to make gravy and I recommend you do! Follow this easy instructional video from TheKitchn.

Serve the stuffed turkey cutlets with cranberry sauce and your favorite gravy. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 20th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter T. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the T recipes below:

• Food Lust People Love: Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Taco Tater Skins 
• Culinary Cam: Toasted Croutons 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls 
• Blogghetti: Turkey Cuban Sandwich Puffs 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Tomato Tart 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Tomato Onion Chutney 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Tender Coconut Meat Cutlet / Shahlyachi Malai Cutlet 
• A Messy Kitchen: Blackberry Tiramisu 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Baked Chicken Tenders with Crushed Fritos 
• Palatable Pastime: Thai Basil Chicken (Gai Pad Krapao)

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets - this post!

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Classic Gingerbread Muffins #MuffinMonday

Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses give these classic gingerbread muffins their traditional flavor. Tender and light, they make a perfect snack or breakfast.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 

This month’s Muffin Monday snuck up on me! I was certain that there was one more Monday next week still in December. When I realized I was wrong, I knew immediately that I wanted to make gingerbread muffins. I love the wonderful aroma when gingerbread is baking. It smells like Christmas to me. 

Classic Gingerbread Muffins

This recipe makes 15 regular sized muffins. If you don't have a nine cup muffin pan, I suggest you use a 12-cup and a six cup. Simply add a half cup of water to the empty cups when baking to keep the heat distribution even. 

Ingredients

2 ½ cups or 313g all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup or 100g white sugar

1 large egg

1 cup or 240ml unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)

1 cup or 240ml hot water

Optional for serving: a sprinkle of icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare 9-cup and 6-cup muffin pans by greasing them or lining them with paper muffin cups. 

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large bowl.

In another mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and whisk again. 

Whisk in the molasses until smooth and homogeneous.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold until almost completely combined. 

There may still be a little flour showing. Whisk in the hot water until smooth.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups in your prepared pans. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin at 20 minutes; it should come out clean. If not, cook for a few additional minutes.

Allow the gingerbread muffins to cool before serving. 

Sprinkle with a little icing sugar, if desired, to serve.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the last Muffin Monday for 2023! Check out the links below:

• Buttermilk Herb and Fontina Cheese Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Classic Gingerbread Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Honey Yogurt Muffins from Palatable Pastime

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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Chocolate Peppermint Bundt #BundtBakers

This Chocolate Peppermint Bundt starts with a mint chocolate batter, baked up tender, finished with peppermint glaze and crushed peppermint candy canes, perfect flavors for the holiday season!

This month’s Bundt Bakers event is special! Rather than choosing an ingredient or theme, our host Patricia of PatyCo Candybar asked us to choose a cake made by one of our fellow bakers to recreate. Gosh, was it hard to choose just one! 

Some of us have been baking Bundts together each month for almost 10 years so that’s a lot of lovely cakes to choose from. I scrolled down the list on our Bundt Bakers’ page and, honestly, it was a struggle. I love so many of them! I finally decided on the chocolate peppermint Bundt from Rebekah of Making Miracles because the flavors sounded perfect for the holiday season. 

If you haven’t been over to Rebekah’s blog yet, you might not know that her blog name, Making Miracles, is a reference to the beautiful babies she gave birth to as a surrogate. Several families are more complete because she was willing to help them fulfill their dream of having children. She is an amazing mom herself and a special, generous, caring person! 

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt

The original instructions say to use a 12-cup Bundt pan so, of course, I did, but I think this batter would fit quite comfortably in a 10-cup pan as well. 

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup or 240ml boiling water

6 tablespoons or 30g unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for the pan

2 1/2 cups or 312g flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup or 57g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for the pan

3/4 cup or 150g sugar

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup or 162g full fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup or 45g semisweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:

3/4 cup or 94g powdered sugar, sifted

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 peppermint candy cane (.44 oz or 12.5g), crushed

To decorate:

1 peppermint candy cane (.44 oz or 12.5g), crushed

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan by generously buttering and lightly coating it with sifted cocoa powder. 

Pour the boiling water into a heatproof measuring vessel then add the cocoa and whisk till it has completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside to cool. 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Use electric beaters or your stand mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter, sugar and peppermint extract.  Add the first egg and beat again.

Add the following two eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. 

Blend the yogurt into the mixture, followed by the cooled cocoa mixture. 

Fold in the flour mixture in batches until just until combined (do not over mix).  

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth; tap pan once or twice sharply to remove any air bubbles. 

Bake 40-45 minutes, until cake begins to pull away from edges of pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully invert the cake onto the rack and allow to cool completely (or invert directly onto a cake plate if preferred).

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and peppermint extract in a small bowl, starting with just 1 tablespoon of the milk. Add more milk a little at a time until you reach pouring consistency. You may not need it all. 

Crush the candy canes in a plastic baggie using a rolling pin or a the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Stir half of the crushed candy canes into the glaze. 

Drizzle or pour the glaze over the cake then sprinkle the top with the remaining crushed candy cane. 

Allow the glaze to set before slicing to serve. 

Enjoy! 

As I mentioned above, it’s time for December’s edition of Bundt Bakers! Check out all the tributes to our Bundt Baker friends below. Many thanks to Patricia of Patyco Candybar for hosting! 

• Apple Almond Coffee Cake with Honey Glaze (from A Day in the Life on the Farm) by Making Miracles
• Chocolate Peppermint Bundt (from Making Miracles) by Food Lust People Love
• Cookies and Cream Mini Bundts (from Food Lust People Love) by Sneha’s Recipe
• Dutch Speculaas Bundt Cake (from Tartacadabra) by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Magical Ingredients Honey Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Weicher Lebkuchen – Soft German Gingerbread Bundt Cake (from Food Lust People Love) by Patyco Candybar
  

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

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Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide)

Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl means two guinea fowl, well spiced and stuffed with clementines, cooked by sous vide then blasted to crispy skin in a very hot oven. The perfect lip-smacking, finger-licking main course for any holiday meal!

N.B. This recipe must be started one day ahead of when you want to roast and serve your guinea fowl. 

One of the things I love about the holiday season is that unusual game birds sometimes turn up in the neighborhood grocery stores or butchers. I’ve found pheasant, guinea fowl, goose and even partridge on occasion and always leap at the opportunity to try something different. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that duck has been on our Christmas menu a couple of years as well. 

Guinea fowl are considered a game bird but, in fact, there has been a great increase in the number of farms that raise them. According the USDA, there are more than 14,500 guinea fowl farms in the Unites States. They are the fourth best selling poultry after chicken, turkey and duck. 

They are relatively small birds, weighing roughly 2-3 lbs or 900-1.4kg, with slightly darker meat than chicken and way more flavor. If you can't find guinea fowl, ask our local butcher to order some for you. Most will oblige.

Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide)

Some essential items for this recipe are 1. a sous vide machine aka immersion circulator 2. A vessel large enough to hold the two birds and water to circulate around them and 3. Two heavy bricks or tiles to hold the birds underwater in said vessel. Don’t worry, I provide a photo of the set up below.

Ingredients

2 whole guinea fowl (approx weight each 3 lbs or 1.4kg)

2 tablespoons dry salted spice rub (I used my dry java concoction) 

1/2 teaspoon same spice rub

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 small clementines

Method

Clean the guinea fowl, removing the top part of the tail and any stray feathers inspector 12 might have missed. (One of mine had what appeared to be one side of the bird’s head skin as well, connected to the neck skin, top feathers and all. Cooking meat is not for the faint-hearted and this is a reminder to me at least, to appreciate the living beast that I am cooking and eating.)

Spoon the dry rub inside the birds and all over the outside skin, making sure to get some between the legs and body, wings and body, and in the top cavity by the neck as well. If the guinea fowl arrive already trussed, just work your fingers between these bits. If your fowl are not already tied up, do this after seasoning. 

Mix that extra 1/2 teaspoon of dry rub with the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and sprinkle it on the top of the bird from a great height, so you get an even layer. According to Serious Eats, this helps the skin dry so it will super crispy when roasted. It does get moist again in the sous vide bag but I like to think that if the skin is really dry when we start, it will dry out again quickly with the application of intense heat.

Place your birds in a casserole dish, breast up, uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 

The following morning, stuff two whole clementines in each bird cavity.  This helps displace air and conduct heat through the birds as well as adding flavor. 

Place each guinea fowl in a gallon bag. Submerge them carefully in water to remove as much of the air inside as possible and seal tightly.

Because there is still some air inside of the birds, they tend to want to float. Cover a couple of bricks or tiles with plastic bags and lean them against the guinea fowl to keep them submerged but make sure water can still circulate around them. I also clothespin the guinea fowl bags to my cooking chopsticks to help center them in the water.

Sous vide at 150°F or 65°C for four hours.

When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Carefully remove the guinea fowl from the bags, holding them legs down so liquid can drain out of them and back into the bags. Reserve any juice left behind to add to gravy later. 

Heat your oven to as high as it will go. Pat the birds dry with paper towels, being careful not to break the skin. 

Heat a large iron skillet on the stovetop and place both birds in it. Turn the oven temperature down to 450°F or 232°C convection, if it was higher than that to preheat. Roast the guinea fowl in your very hot oven for about 10 minutes to brown the skin, turning the pan around midway through to ensure even browning. 

Let rest for 10 minutes, cut into joints and serve.

Enjoy! 

Anybody tired of turkey and ham every holiday? It’s Sunday FunDay again and this week we are sharing main course recipes that are anything but ham and turkey! Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Beef Pasanday - Rajasthani Style With a Twist from Sneha’s Recipe
• Cornish Hens Marbella from Palatable Pastime
• Mughlai Egg Curry from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Roasted Brace of Guinea Fowl (Sous Vide) from Food Lust People Love
• Roasted New York Strip Loin from A Day in the Life on the Farm

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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