Tired of eggnog? Homemade horchata, Irish cream are tasty options for festive drinks

In Great Britain, eggnog was once the drink of the aristocracy.

If you could afford cream, eggs and sherry, you were wealthy. It was the perfect drink to toast prosperity.

These days, we mostly pick up a litre or two for the sake of nostalgia. If you're not a fan, you likely won't have a carton of it in your fridge this holiday season.

Or perhaps you haven't tried the versions they make at D Dutchmen Dairy in Sicamous, B.C., or from Mans Eggs in Nobleford, Alta., where they use milk and cream from Vital Green Farms in Picture Butte, Alta. Both can be tricky to find but are worth seeking out. Try farmers markets and small retailers, such as Calgary's Sunnyside Market in Kensington and Bite Grocer & Eatery in Inglewood.

• For more of Julie Van Rosendaal's delicious dishes, bookmark cbc.ca/juliesrecipes

If you're like me, you buy it because it seems like a good idea, but then no one drinks it and it languishes in the door of your fridge. Fortunately, this has caused me to get into the habit of using it in my baking.

I add eggnog in place of the milk in waffles, scones and even muffins, or mix it into icing sugar for a drizzle to splatter over cookies and cinnamon buns. I've added it to caramel sauce and sometimes add it to my coffee. Like pre-sweetened, spiced milk, it will work in just about any recipe in place of the milk or cream.

If you like the idea of a festive drink but aren't a nog person, you may love horchata, a milky Mexican drink flavoured with rice that tastes like drinkable rice pudding. Also, homemade Irish cream is a boozy treat that's simply to make. Here are the recipes to make your own.

Horchata

This milky Mexican drink made with rice is like a lighter version of eggnog. Start soaking the rice in the the morning or the night before to extract maximum flavour.

Ingredients

¾ cup white rice

3 cups warm water

1 cinnamon stick

½ to ¾ cup sugar or honey

2 cups whole milk or half-and-half

½ cup rum, or to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon

Preparation

Horchata is simple to make. In a blender or food processor, grind the rice until it has the consistency of very coarse polenta. Pour into a bowl, cover with water, add the cinnamon stick, cover and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.

Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture back into the blender. Purée the rice and water as much as you can. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve, pressing it to extract as much of the starchy water as possible.

Stir in the sugar and milk, mixing until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the sweetness, if necessary.

Add the rum and refrigerate until well chilled. You have a creamy festive drink that isn't as thick or rich as eggnog, and can still be topped with nutmeg or spiked with rum.

Serving: Stir and serve over ice, topped with a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

Irish cream

If you do want something richer and boozier to keep in your fridge over the holidays or to give away as gifts, Irish cream is surprisingly simple. Yes, you can make your own Irish cream. As a bonus, it can almost all be measured in the empty sweetened condensed milk can. Start with a can and use it to measure the whisky and cream.

Whiz it all in the blender and it will keep in the fridge or freezer all through the holidays. This makes a perfect amount to fill an empty 750 ml-bottle, like the ones fancy lemonades often come in.

Flavour it with instant coffee, cocoa, vanilla and a bit of almond extract if you have it, and you'll be amazed how much better it tastes made from scratch.

Ingredients

1 can sweetened condensed milk

The empty milk can full of whisky

Half a can full of whipping or 18 per cent cream

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee

1 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp almond extract, optional. Coconut extract is good, too.

Preparation

Blend everything in a blender, then transfer into a glass jar, pitcher or bottle.

Refrigerate for at least an hour or two.

Serving: Shake before serving.

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.