Christmas has come and gone. The leftover has been made into a , the has been claimed, you know you should be starting a pot of vegetable soup and sipping a glass of cucumber juice.
But there’s that bottle of leftover in the fridge. And what are you going to do — pour it out? I think not. Those resolutions can wait a few more days, right? You’re going to make eggnog milkshakes!
You can go boozy or not, and there are a number of flavour variations you can play with. If your eggnog already has liquor in it, then you’re going for boozy. If not, then you can decide whether or not to add a glug or two of brandy, rum or bourbon.
Garnishing the rims of the glasses
If you’re going for it, go for it! Garnishing the rims of the glasses makes for a fun presentation and adds to the indulgence factor.
Place some tiny or crushed candies or other little sweet things in small bowls (but bowls big enough for the glasses to be dipped in upside down).
You can use mini chocolate chips (try to find the super mini chips if you can), crushed peppermint bark or candy canes (these may well be hanging around your home now as well), or tiny M&M's. Crushed cereal or cookies is also an option, as are sprinkles and cake decorations. Have fun poking around in your pantry for options.
Melt 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips (or butterscotch or white chocolate or peanut butter chips) in a small bowl. This is best done in the microwave when you are melting a small amount. Just put the chips in the bowl, and heat it for 20 second bursts, stirring between each session, until the chips are melted.
You can also use a thick caramel or hot fudge sauce.
Dip the rims of the glasses into the melted chips or sauce, or use a pastry brush to coat the rims. Then dip the top of the glasses into a bowl with the crushed or teeny candy garnish.
Place these glasses in the freezer so the chocolate can firm up and keep everything in place.
Make the milkshakes and fill the glasses. Serve immediately, with straws (go for paper or metal, because you are a thoughtful person.)
Listen, let’s keep how stupidly easy this all is between us, OK? And then you and I can both look like rock stars when we serve these up.
Basic vanilla shake
1 pint
1 cup eggnog
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
(to serve; optional)
Place 1 pint vanilla ice cream in a blender. Add 1 cup eggnog. Blend. Add more eggnog if you want a looser consistency.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to bump up the vanilla flavor (or use one of the other flavor variations below.)
Pour into 2 large glasses, top with whipped cream if you want (the restraint ship has sailed) and serve.
Two variations
Chocolate Eggnog Milkshake: Make the vanilla version above, skip the vanilla extract and add ¼ cup chocolate sauce. Blend.
Mango Eggnog Milkshake: Make the vanilla version above, skip the vanilla extract, and add 1 very ripe mango peeled and cut into chunks. Blend.
And there you have it — no such thing as leftover eggnog, just a milkshake waiting to be born.
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Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at She can be reached at [email protected].
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Katie Workman, The Associated Press
