eggnog waffles

I. Love. Eggnog. And yes, I love it so much, I should marry it. But, actually, I kind of did. My husband loves eggnog, and that's why I decided to give it a shot a few years back. Growing up, I think I just assumed I didn't like eggnog. I mean, it sounds gross. Eggs? In a drink? And nog? What the heck is nog? Doesn't exactly sound tasty. Kind of sounds like slog. Bleh. But turns out, eggnog is creamy deliciousness! Who knew!? Well, a lot of people, I guess, since it's a widely enjoyed holiday beverage.

Since I married eggnog, it's an integral part of our holiday season. We try to hold ourselves back and not buy it until after Thanksgiving. But we don't show any restraint on the opposite end of the holiday. Because you know what happens after Christmas? The best thing ever. Eggnog goes ON SALE.

My all-time favorite way to enjoy eggnog is in coffee. I know people like nog with booze, but I'm pretty sure eggnog was invented to be the best coffee creamer ever. Heat a quarter cup of eggnog in the microwave, add coffee, sprinkle on some fresh nutmeg, and enjoy. Mmmm.

But. This past weekend we trekked up to Crested Butte for a wintery weekend. Obviously, we brought some eggnog along. And to add to the festiveness, we decided to buy some alcohol to go with our nog. We had an inkling that folks like to drink nog with whiskey, but we're not huge whiskey fans. So instead, we opted for rum. But not Caribbean rum. Colorado spiced rum. Because didn't you know that Colorado is known for rum? Ha. Well, we now know it. Because this rum is GOOD. It's going head-to-head with coffee in the competition to be eggnog's best friend.

After an evening of rum nog, you might need a delicious brunch. In which case, I must recommend you make eggnog waffles. Because, eggnog coffee is probably not quite enough fatty richness for a winter morning.

Eggnog Waffles
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup eggnog
1 large egg, separated
2 tablespoons melted butter
Oil or cooking spray for the waffle iron

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl. 2. Whisk eggnog, egg yolk, and butter in another bowl. 3. Stir wet ingredients into the dry until combined; you don’t want the batter to be lumpy or too smooth— just right. 4. Whisk egg white until almost stiff; fold them into the batter. 5. Heat a waffle iron. Grease iron. Pour some of the batter into the middle of the iron. Close and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. 6. Serve with (real!) maple syrup.

And just one more thing. If all this coffee and rum and pancake decadence isn't enough, I recently discovered another eggnog delight: Talenti Old World Eggnog gelato. Yes. You read that right. Eggnog gelato! From Talenti! (Not sure what makes it "old world," but I don't care.) It's amazing. Get some. Now. And if you're feeling crazy, drizzle some rum over your gelato. Or drop a scoop in your coffee. There really aren't any rules.

Happy Holidays!