DECEMBER 2020 73Vegan “Eggnog”
ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 55 MIN
SERVES 4 TO 6
Thickened with fragrant and starchy bas-
mati rice (similar to how horchata is thick-
ened), this spirit-free, tahini-laced ’nog
was devised by Jennifer Carroll of Spice
Finch in Philadelphia. “My fiancé and I cut
out alcohol (and dairy as well, for him), but
my love for ‘Christmas in a cup’ remained;
I found a way to still enjoy it without sacri-
ficing the festive flavors,” she says. Add a
splash of rum or bourbon for a boozy ver-
sion of this drink.
1 / 3 cup uncooked basmati rice (about
21 / 4 oz.)
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, plus more for
garnish
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 / 4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. tahini (such as Soom)
11 / 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 / 4 tsp. kosher salt
1 / 4 tsp. ground cardamom
Freshly grated whole nutmeg,
for garnish- Rinse rice 3 times; drain in a small fine
wire-mesh strainer. Bring rice, 3 cups
water, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a
small saucepan over medium-high.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until rice is very ten-
der and creamy, about 25 minutes.
Remove from heat. Remove and discard
cinnamon stick. Transfer rice mixture to a
blender, and let cool 10 minutes. - Add almond milk, sugar, tahini, vanilla,
salt, and cardamom to blender. Process
until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour mix-
ture into a large saucepan. Heat over
medium, stirring constantly, until hot,
about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour
into mugs, and garnish with nutmeg and
cinnamon sticks.
Inverno Arancione
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 10 MIN
SERVES 4 TO 6“Spiced mulled cocktails are what I crave
when I want to relax in the colder months,”
says Amy Brandwein of Centrolina in
Washington, D.C. “Red wine is usually the
base, but Centrolina Wine Director Alissa
Diaz developed this cocktail using Pinot
Grigio to focus on citrus and ginger—it
almost plays off the flavors of a classic
panettone, which is a winter specialty in
Italian culture.”3 large oranges
1 small lemon, plus lemon wedges for
rims of glasses
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled,
halved lengthwise, and smashed
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 (750-ml.) bottles dry Pinot Grigio
5 whole star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt- Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel
in wide strips from 2 oranges and from
half of the lemon. Juice lemon to equal 2
tablespoons juice; set juice aside. - Heat orange peels, lemon peels, ginger,
and^1 / 2 cup sugar in a large saucepan over
medium-high. Cook, stirring and scraping
bottom and sides of pan constantly with a
wooden spoon, until sugar crystallizes
and turns golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
(The sugar will melt and then crystallize,
forming small pebbles.) Slowly stir in 1
bottle of wine. Slowly stir in second bottle
of wine; add star anise, cinnamon sticks,
vanilla, and reserved 2 tablespoons
lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low,
partially cover, and bring mixture to a vig-
orous simmer. Reduce heat to low, and
simmer 10 minutes. Remove pan from
heat, and let mixture steep 20 minutes. - Meanwhile, grate remaining orange to
equal 1 packed tablespoon grated zest.
Combine orange zest, salt, and remaining
(^1) / 2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using the
back of a spoon, stir and crush mixture
until mixture is fragrant and has an
orange tint; set aside.
- Return pan to heat over medium, and
cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed
through, about 4 minutes. Pour wine mix-
ture through a fine wire-mesh strainer
into a large heatproof bowl; discard solids.
5. Rub rims of heatproof glasses or mugs
with a lemon wedge; dip rims of glasses
into orange zest–sugar mixture. Carefully
ladle mulled wine into glasses, and serve
warm.