A Holiday Drink Makeover

It’s cold outside. Maybe it’s even snowing (in Victoria, that’s a real maybe…). You’re sitting back with your closest friends or family by the fire and relaxing in maximum cozy-ness. In Danish there’s a word for the specific feeling surrounding this type of atmosphere but it is nearly impossible to translate directly. You kind of just have to “get it.” The word is “hygge,” and it gets used most around the holidays, but also whenever a feeling of contentment or well-being among others arises. Beautiful, no? Anyway, one thing that would be missing from this picturesque scene is a steaming hot mug of a holiday drink. You know the kind; usually creamy and rich, sometimes alcoholic, loaded with spices and flavour, – a festive treat.

At Fettle + Food, we believe in balance and moderation. No one, including yourself, should make you feel guilty for taking part in holiday cheer with a warm cup of eggnog. However, you may face the opportunity to try all sorts of treats in the weeks leading up to Christmas, even if you don’t celebrate it yourself. Friends and coworkers often feel inspired to bake up delicious treats, and fancy drinks are offered regularly in some homes as a holiday staple. If you have decided to actively be selective with the type of foods and drinks you accept this winter, that’s great as well 🙂

In this blog post, we would like to share a few tweaked recipes of traditional drinks that are super popular around this time of year that we scoured the internet for! We aimed to bring you options that are lower in sugar and opting for sweeteners that are lower on the glycemic index than granulated sugar. We are also including non-dairy options, as many people are realizing that dairy does not agree with them. We hope you love these recipes, and if you try one or more of them, show us! Take a picture and tag us on Instagram <3 We love to see your recreations!

Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte (serves 1)

Ingredients

2 shots espresso

1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Maple syrup to taste

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Optional: graham crackers, crushed

Instructions

In a mug, mix together the hot espresso with the pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup.

Steam the milk and add it to the espresso.

Top with pumpkin pie spice and crushed graham crackers, if desired.

Easy Chai Latte (serves 2)

Ingredients

2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 black tea bags

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon , or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Heat up the almond milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until it begins to bubble around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat, and add the 2 tea bags to the pot of hot milk. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to steep, then remove the bags and continue with the next step.

Add in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine, stirring over medium heat, until the mixture is piping hot. 

Adjust any seasoning to your taste and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can serve them chilled over ice, or reheat on the stove again. 

Homemade Eggnog (serves 8)

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened nut milk macadamia or almond

2 cups coconut milk

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated, plus more for garnish

6 egg yolks

1/2 – 3/4 cup Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 – 1 cup dark rum or bourbon to taste

Instructions

Add nut milk, heavy cream, cinnamon and nutmeg to a medium saucepan and simmer for about 8-10 to infuse. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the yolks. 

Add egg yolks and sweetener to a large bowl and, using a whisk or an electric mixer (easier), beat them until light, fluffy, and most of the sweetener has dissolved. 

Gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Tempering means adding the hot milks (very!) little by little to your egg mixture while whisking constantly, so your eggs don’t curdle.  

Return everything to the saucepan, and cook over medium/low heat for roughly 8-10 minutes, or until your mixture reaches 160°F/70°C and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and sieve onto a medium mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla and liquor of choice, to taste. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.

Your eggnog will continue to thicken while chilling. So give it a good stir right before serving, and feel free to thin it out with a little nut milk until desired consistency is reached. 

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (serves 2)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups almond milk or skimmed milk

1/2 cup light coconut milk

2 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon peppermint extract

Instructions

Pour the almond milk and coconut milk in to a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour in to mugs and serve.

Sources: https://www.abbeyskitchen.com/healthy-vegan-pumpkin-spice-latte/#wprm-recipe-container-141276 https://detoxinista.com/chai-latte/#wprm-recipe-container-27281 https://www.gnom-gnom.com/low-carb-keto-eggnog/#wprm-recipe-container-4592 https://www.hungryhealthyhappy.com/healthy-peppermint-hot-chocolate/#wprm-recipe-container-26105

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