My secret for making this year's extra-special glass of festive Holiday Soy Nog: a real vanilla bean and dried mulling spices boldly infused into the soy milk - via simmering on a hot stove. This bevie will have your holiday guests swooning! Get my recipe for Real Spiced Vanilla Bean Soy Nog!...
Mulling Spices...
Split Vanilla Bean Pod...
Real Vanilla Bean flavor...
I crafted this recipe for the first time last year. And this year I decided to do it again with a few tweaks.
For my Soy Nog recipe last year (for my 12 days of vegan treats series), I wanted to add body to my nog, so I added in a mashed up banana. I was shocked by how delicious and creamy the banana made my nog. It tasted slightly sweet in a tropical island-kissed way. But this year I wanted to give the nog a more pure-vanilla, spiced accent.
Real Vanilla Bean. I simply had to still include that real vanilla bean flavor that made my nog sing with special sincerity last year. So after a few tries, here is my Soy Nog 2010. Surprise your special guests with this sip and you will be a holiday hosting superstar...
A little "nog" history before my recipe...
History of Egg Nog. As I researched the origins of egg nog the basics come out to this: egg nog was originally a highly alcoholic beverage that is meant to be bold, rich and filled with robust spices. Nutmeg and cinnamon are the classic egg nog spices.
Spiced and Spicy. One of the interesting notations about the history of egg nog is that it was once meant to be a very spicy beverage. Nowadays, you don't think of eggnog as a spicy drink, but rather simply accented with warm mellow spices.
Kathy's Spiced Real Vanilla Bean Soy Nog 2010
vegan, serves 2-3
3 cups Soy Milk, plain
½ cup water
½ cup soy creamer
1 whole real vanilla bean, seeds and bean pod
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sachel of mulling spices (cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, orange peel)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
4 tablespoon maple or agave syrup (or sweeten to taste)
dash of salt
dash fine black pepper
Adults-only add-in (optional): ½ shot of brandy per mug
Tea-Spiked add-in: 1 black or chai tea bag, along with mulling spices
Garnish: dash of cinnamon/cayenne/maple foam
Sweet Foam
1 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon soy cream
1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
Directions:
1. Scoop vanilla seeds out of pod. Set aside, carefully. Keep the vanilla bean pod for the next step!
2. Add the soy milk and water to a small soup pot. Add the sachel of mulling spices and bring to a low boil. Also add in the leftover vanilla bean pod. Reduce to a simmer and cover with lid. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove mulling spices or strain out through a strainer.
3. Keep your spice-infused mixture on the stove top - simmering - and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir together.
4. Leave the nog covered over very low heat until ready to serve.
5. Prepare your sweet foam topping by using a mini foaming wand - or you can also use a blender for a 'frothy' topping. Heat the milk/cream/syrup to warm temp and foam. Set aside for serving.
6. Pour nog into serving cups/mugs - top with a dollop of foam and a dash of cinnamon. Optional for adults: Brandy.
Enjoy! Happy Holidays.
