Recipes — Holiday desserts

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It's getting cold outside and my boys keep asking for hot chocolate. I stopped buying the store bought mix after reading what's in it.  Who would have thought all those preservatives were in hot chocolate mix. I like knowing what we're actually eating, and in this case, drinking. This recipe is so rich and smooth. My boys won't even touch the store bought stuff.  I guess I'm raising a couple of hot chocolate snobs:). I just have to make it once and it lasts all winter!

Ingredients

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• ½ split crosswise Mexican Vanillapura bean.
• 1½ pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
• sprinkle of cinnamon 

Instructions

1. Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
2. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground.
3. Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
4. Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.
5. To serve: heat 2 cups of milk over the stove
6. Top with whipped cream or a sprinkle of cinnamon

recipe shared from thisweekfordinner.com

Do any of you have a recipe that takes you back to a magical place?

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My husband has been begging for eggnog. He’s an eggnog junkie.  I have to admit, often times we just get the store bought stuff to feed his craving. But when we really want the good stuff we make it homemade with Vanillapura Mexican beans and Mexican\rum Vanillapura extract.  Because, lets face it, good pure vanilla makes everything better!

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp Vanillapura Mexican rum vanilla extract
• seeds of one Vanillapura Mexican vanilla bean
• ground cinnamon, for topping
• whipped cream, for topping (optional)

Method

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg, vanilla bean seeds, and salt.
3. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer.
4. Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs.
5. Once all of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.
6. Whisk constantly, until mixture reaches 160 degrees F on a thermometer.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
8. Chill 3 hours

Recipe from girlingamba.com