Eggnog

What a perfect season for eggnog! Whether you make it for your Christmas party, or a romantic evening next to the fireplace. Or just because you simply want to treat yourself to something tasty and delicious, or even for a family get-together; of course, don't add the rum or any alcohol if kids are going to taste it.

It is a very easy recipe to make and it will delight adults and children during this holiday season.

To make about 4 cups of eggnog, you will need:

• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 pint of milk
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 9 ounces of spiced rum*
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: A few hours in the fridge until serving


Start by separating the egg whites from the egg yolks and put them in two separate bowls.

Grate the nutmeg and keep aside.

In a bowl, mix the milk and the heavy cream.

In a standing mixer, or with a hand-mixer, whisk the egg yolks until they get lighter in color.

Once it's done, gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue to whisk until the two ingredients are combined.

While continuing to whisk on a slow setting, add the milk/cream mixture, the rum*, and the nutmeg to the mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Then add the tablespoon of sugar and continue to whisk until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Gently whisk the egg-yolk mixture to the egg-white mixture.

You've just made eggnog!

Keep the eggnog in a sealed container in the fridge until serving. Simply re-froth before serving.

Enjoy!

*Note: You can make this recipe alcohol-free by not adding the rum. The recipe steps stay the same; simply remove the rum from the ingredients.

Tip: Keep the leftovers of the eggnog in a sealed container in the fridge. Simply re-froth before serving.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond

Pear, Cranberry, and Yoghurt Pie

Let's try and make something other than the traditional apple pie, and venture to a delicious and sweet pear, cranberry, and yoghurt pie you can make easily.

For a 26 cm diameter deep-dish pie, you will need:

• One 33 cm diameter shortcrust pastry
• 3 eggs
• 250 grams of sugar
• One and a half tablespoon of flour
• 300 grams of plain yoghurt
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 medium-sized ripe pears
• About 60 grams of fresh cranberries (previously cleaned)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour 10 minutes (20 minutes for the shortcrust pastry by itself, and 45 to 50 minutes for the whole pie with filling)


Start by preheating your oven to 225 C (435 F).

Cover your deep-dish pie pan with parchment paper and lay your shortcut pastry on it.

Add another sheet of parchment paper over the shortcrust pastry and add weight on it. In my case I used some baking ceramic pie weights, but you can also used dried beans.

Once your oven is preheated, place the shortcrust pastry in it for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and let it cool.

Reduce your oven temperature to 175 C (350 F).

While your pastry is cooling down, prepare your pie filling.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and the sugar and whisk until you obtain a frothy mix as shown below.

Then add the flour and mix gently.

In a separate bowl, add the vanilla extract to the plain yoghurt, and mix.

Add the vanilla-yoghurt mixture to the egg-sugar-flour mixture and mix together.

Once the shortcrust pastry has cooled down, add the filling.

Peel and core the pears.

Slice the pears into thin slices.

Place the slices in the filling, all in the same direction. Be sure to not over-crowd the pear slices.

Distribute the cranberries on the top.

Place the pie in the oven for about 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, increase your oven temperature to 200 C (390 F), and let the pie bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the color of the filling becomes golden. For the last baking part, keep your eyes on the pie.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool down.

You can eat your pie either cold or luke warm.

Enjoy!

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond
Photographs by Charline Leblond

Pineapple and Shrimp Verrines

These verrines are easy to make and, aside from the fact you have to do it in two steps (the marinade taking the longest time), quite fast. They are refreshing and will be ideal either for a light starter or an appetizer.

For 4 verrines, you will need the following ingredients:

• About 20 shrimp
• One tablespoon of curry powder
• A good-size handful of coriander leaves
• A can of 550 grams of cut or sliced pineapple
• The pineapple juice of the same 550 grams of cut or sliced pineapple

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 4 to 8 hours


Start by your marinade, as it will have to rest for a few hours.

Cut the head of your shrimp and peel them.

Roughly chop the coriander.

In a container, pour the pineapple juice, then add the curry powder. Add the chopped coriander, and mix a bit.

Add your peeled shrimp.

Cover with a plastic film, and place in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours to let the marinade infuse the shrimp.

Place your pineapple pieces in a blender and mash them into a puree. It is your choice whether or not to leave pieces, my preference being having a few half-mashed pieces here and there.

Cover with a plastic film, and place in the fridge.

Hours after the marinade has been in the fridge, and just before your dinner starts, cut the marinated shrimp into pieces, but don't forget to keep 4 whole shrimp for the decoration.

It is now time to assemble your verrines.

To do so, it will take you only four simple steps.

The first step is to pour the mashed/pineapple purée as the bottom layer.

The second step is to add the marinated cut shrimp pieces as the second layer.

The third step is to place a shrimp on the side of your verrine. You can cut a little notch into your shrimp to help it hold on to the edge of the verrine.

The four step is to add few pieces of chopped coriander on top of the marinated cut shrimp pieces.

The final step is to serve and enjoy!

*Tip: Don't throw away your leftover pineapple pieces, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Charline Leblond