‘Tis the season for eggnog! Every year at Christmas, when I was little, my mom would pour eggnog into special Christmas mugs and sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on the top. We’d have eggnog and Christmas cookies while opening a few gifts on Christmas Eve. When we moved abroad, and eggnog was nowhere to be found, I decided to make my own. Turns out, the homemade version is outstanding! For this week’s bake, I wanted to take those nostalgic flavors and bake with them. Muffins seemed a natural fit – the muffins have eggnog in the batter and are topped with a nutmeg-
infused streusel. They are on the sweeter end of what I like to bake, but pleasantly so.
I usually try to wrap up Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving time, so that Advent can have one less item on my to-do list. I’m mostly there, with a few things left to order for parents/grandparents. Everyone seemed easy to shop for this year, but it’s not always that way. If you’re looking for a gift for someone local, think about a subscription for fresh bread for a month! Gift subscriptions are available on the website. Or, if you’d like to gift a week, just put that in the notes when you order.
My house sourdough is available to order every week. I’ve tweaked this recipe over the years, depending on which grains are most readily available. i’m really enjoying the current version with red wheat, white wheat, spelt, and triticale. So much flavor, so many great vitamins and minerals in these four grains! These loaves have a long proof, first on the counter and then overnight in the fridge. This long period of time (24+ hours) makes them most easily digestible, even for those who are sensitive to gluten.
We’re looking forward to a fun weekend – our church hosts a Maker’s Market for kids from all over the community, where they all make sweet crafted items for sale. If you like handmade gifts, this is a wonderful group of kids to support! It takes place at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church from 2-4 on Saturday. The tail end of a basketball game and Founder’s Fest round out our Saturday, then Lessons and Carols at the College on Sunday!