Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of the people who live in my apartment building. I know that sounds weird since I’ve lived here for a year and a half, but with COVID being a jerk that we’re all trying to avoid, my neighbors and I haven’t gotten to be very neighborly.
But now that we’re all vaxxed and established in our safe routines and cautious social bubbles, branching out to socialize with the people breathing the same air in the building that I live in seems to be the next logical step in widening my circle in a safe way.
Since it’s the holidays, a traditional Ugly Christmas Sweater party really fit the bill for festively gathering together with the new people in my bubble. I also saw this as the perfect chance to show off my baking skills that no one seems to know about.
Each year, I get practically giddy about heading back to New Orleans to sip eggnog with my mother. She’s the only person I drink it with, because quite frankly everyone else I know is pretty grossed out by it. 🤷🏻♀️
That is until this party with my neighbors. One of them was telling me that she recently drank something that I seem to remember her calling a “Distempered Eggnog”. (I feel like that title isn't quite what she called it, but who knows. There was a lot of booze flowing that night since I made a HUGE batch of the Whiskey Apple Smash from my most recent episode of Baking and Boozing and every single person who came to the party drank it. #WIN I seriously recommend grabbing that recipe before your next holiday party!) With excitement, I asked what was in that drink. She said it was eggnog with a little bit of whiskey in it.
I would certainly drink it, but my desire to be polite to my new neighbor friends dictated that I keep my mouth shut and not divulge that my mother and I drink an extreme version of that, called Pennsylvania Dutch.
For those of you who have never been knocked on your a$$ by drinking this entire-bar-in-a-glass before, you need to know that it is eggnog + rum + brandy + whiskey.
I wonder if my new neighbor friend would drink that with me or if she would run screaming in the opposite direction. Hmmm…
Either way, I was glad to find a few more people to share my enjoyment of eggnog with, especially since I concocted a new macaron just for this party: the eggnog macaron!
It doesn’t look like much, but there’s a spice hidden in the cookie portion of this macaron: nutmeg! I almost always top off my glass of eggnog with a sprinkling of nutmeg, and I wanted to pass along that little flavor boost to everyone who tasted this new macaron. Also, since eggnog is typically a rich beverage I used French buttercream as the filling to mimic the essence of the beverage, and then whipped eggnog directly into the buttercream. It is super decadent and extremely delicious!
This year, I decided to invest in a macaron tree so I could display my tasty treats for the party.
The eggnog macs had their own row right in the middle to be displayed on and there were a few people at the party who kept going back for more, which made my grinch heart grow three sizes that day.
Just kidding, I don’t have a grinch heart!
I have a very happy heart that was filled with joy and Christmas spirit by having so many wonderful people filling my home that day!
I also made a wreath cake and topped it with sprinkles and a few more macs for something else festive; however, I am just now realizing that I didn't take many photos that evening - I was too busy enjoying myself! I wish that same joy for you this holiday season 💜
Happy eating, y’all!
If you tried this dessert, or any other desserts in my blog, please share my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram posts about them and let people know what you think! Mahalo!
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