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High Desert Eggnog Flip

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In preparation for New Year’s Eve, I knew I wanted to make a high desert version of eggnog. Something really special that would celebrate the flavors of New Mexico and the new year. I knew well enough the method of making eggnog by tempering whipped eggs and sugar with hot milk and cream, but I also knew that bartenders tend to view eggnog making through the lens of a class of cocktails called the “flip” which consists of fortified wine or liquor shaken with a whole egg and sweetened with sugar. So down the rabbit hole, I traversed, finding two passionate schools of thought on the subject. After a week of research and experimentation, I thought the best way to move forward was to share the best of both methods and let you decide. 

Quite simply, The Eggnog Flip tastes like maybe the best cocktail you’ve ever had. Really. This is a cocktail with raw eggs, so proceed with care and consideration just as you would with caesar dressing, hollandaise sauce, cookie dough, or handmade aioli. 

This version has come from multiple points of inspiration. The approach stems from a play on the classic flip cocktail as described by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, one of the most influential bartenders today. This also happens to be the simplest method I found. The idea is to blend eggs and sugar and slowly pour in milk, cream, and alcohol. Oftentimes eggnog is made with rum and/or whiskey. This time, I took my inspiration from the classic cocktail, the 1910 which features a combination of both mezcal and cognac.

According to many a mixologist, this combination (as long as it contains 20% alcohol) can be aged for weeks before serving to bring out layers of complexity and refrigerated for months. When I made this batch, I let it chill in the fridge for only an hour and it was still the best eggnog we’ve ever had. Just to be on the safe side, I am recommending that you enjoy this within a week.

For a more PG version with no alcohol, check out our recipe for a Classic High Desert Eggnog

Classic High Desert Eggnog

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There are so many options when it comes to this classic High Desert Eggnog. You can use the spices that sound good to you. You can leave out the alcohol. You can use the egg whites for an omelet, or you could whip them to peaks and fold them into the cold eggnog for an extra frothy lift.

For a mixologist’s twist on this recipe, check out our High Desert Eggnog Flip

Discover Santa Fe’s Sweet Haven: Chainé’s Piñon Chocolate Chip Cookies

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A few blocks west of the plaza, nestled between Palace Avenue and San Francisco Street you’ll find Burro Alley, paved with cobblestones and the resonance of old Santa Fe. At one point the alley served as a place for burros to park and unload firewood. Now it’s a quiet, pedestrian-friendly, just off-the-beaten-path home for a handful of local businesses.

One of my favorite shops in town, Modern Folk Ware owned by potter Jennie Johnsrud, recently moved next door to Chainé, a dessert shop owned by Chainé Pena with creative, made-from-scratch, small-batch French macarons and cookies. Both shops have loyal and passionate followings so it feels almost too good to be true that now they are right next door to each other.

Chaine - Speciality Cookies Shop in Santa Fe
photo credit Chaine Pena

On the day I walked in with my kids to celebrate their last day of school for the year, Pena, a 6th generation Santa Fean, had just pulled a batch of biscochitos from the oven. Her mom was helping her in the open kitchen, while my boys carefully eyed an array of generously portioned cookies and row after row of colorful macarons. They eventually both made the same choice — a bright red “Santa” macaron, filled with a chocolate cookie & mint cream.

So when Pena offered to share her famous Pinon & Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with all of us here, it felt like such a gift. Pena started baking as a hobby before she took a macaron baking class in France where she fell in love with this technically intricate cookie. When she began posting her creations on social media and people started asking if they could place orders, it’s then she knew she was on the right path. Pena says,

Chaine Pena with macaron - Santa Fe
photo credit Isaiah Hererra

Unexpected flavors

“I love that cookies are a straightforward treat that most people love. What really makes me excited about my cookie offerings is playing with texture and flavor to create something a little different like our lemon meringue cookie or creme brulee. It’s fun to pack an unexpected dessert flavor into a few inches of a cookie.”

Thankfully for us, she is giving us one of her most beloved recipes for the always classic chocolate chip cookie spiked with a hefty dose of piñon nuts.

Chainé is open 11am-3pm Wednesday through Saturday at 38 Burro Alley. Macarons and Cookies can also be preordered on the Chainé website or via email at chainescookies@gmail.com.

Chaine Macarons with flowers
photo credit Chaine Pena
Chaine - Speciality Cookies Shop Santa Fe - Macarons
photo credit Chaine Pena

Red Chile Caramel Corn

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This weekend my family went to a Chicago-themed holiday potluck at a friend’s house in Eldorado. We wanted to bring something fun and festive so we decided to make a version of our favorite windy city confection— Chicago Mix Popcorn, a sweet and savory mix of caramel and cheese popcorn. The classic treat reminds me of when my husband and I lived in Chicago and before embarking on any road trip, we always made a stop at Garrett’s Popcorn to pick up a bag on the way out of town.

This custom recipe is focused on one-half of the treat, the red chile caramel corn. When you make it, customize it as you wish. Mix it with cheesy popcorn, add nuts, or just enjoy it on its own for a sweet and spicy snack.

As the popcorn was popping on the stove this week, the kids ran downstairs to find out why I was making popcorn, a sure sign that some kind of family movie or game night was on the horizon. Their interest only peaked when I told them I was making caramel corn.

A touch oh heat

As the brown sugar-based caramel sauce simmered away on the stove, I couldn’t resist adding a generous spoonful of red chile powder to my little bowl of baking soda sitting by the stove, the last step of the process before coating the popcorn with the caramel and butter mixture and transferring it to the oven for baking. I’m happy to report that this just might be the best cooking decision I’ve made all week. I know caramel making can be a little intimidating for some of you, but I promise, this recipe is as easy and delightful as it gets.

Making caramel the easy way

Normally when one is making caramel, you begin with sugar and sometimes a very small amount of water. Then, it becomes a waiting game requiring a close eye, and oftentimes a candy thermometer, depending on if the caramel will be made into a sauce, candy, or coating. Here, we keep things simple and no thermometer is needed, just a timer and a bit of extra care since we are dealing with very hot sugar.

Magic ingredient

When making caramel corn, it’s the baking soda that works its magic, creating a caramel sauce that isn’t hard or overly sticky. Rather, the baking soda is added at the very last minute after the caramel has come off the heat and results in a light, melt-in-your-mouth caramel corn.

This popcorn will stay fresh for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature, making it a perfect option for homemade holiday gifting.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble: Quick, Delicious, and Perfectly Sweet

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There are few desserts as satisfying as an apple crisp. Within minutes of hitting the oven, the scent of baking apples, spice, and toasted oats fills the kitchen in the most delightful way. Over the last week I’ve been in the kitchen cooking all kinds of foods and out of everything I made last week, this easy apple crisp crumble not only emerged as the favorite sweet treat at dessert time, it was also the easiest and fastest thing I made. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and then takes another hour in the oven. I love to build it the day before and pull it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking it the next day.

You’ll notice that this recipe calls for a light sprinkle of High Desert Salt right before it goes in the oven. This is a blend I make and includes flakey sea salt, lavender, red chile, and green chile powders, but feel free to experiment with any combination of these ingredients you have on hand.

Naturally Sweet

The entire recipe uses only one cup of brown sugar and makes a crisp that fills the largest size of all my baking dishes, a 9”x13” rectangle. Because of the natural sweetness of the apples, this is all that’s needed and I think it’s a pretty special dessert for this reason alone. Hot from the oven, we spooned vanilla ice cream on top, and over the next few days, we enjoyed leftovers cold for breakfast with plain greek yogurt.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble - Fresh Apples on a marble slab