Bring on the holidays with easy and festive recipes from Savory Spice.
Whether you are a professional or just starting to cook, Savory Spice makes exploring the kitchen easier. Based in Denver and boasting seven locations plus one in Santa Fe, this Western purveyor of gourmet spices has crafted several easy and flavor-filled recipes just in time for the holidays.
Here, nibble on Garam Masala Spiced Cashews for a festive starter and soak it all in with their spirited Best Ever Eggnog. Both will have you—and your guests—feeling merry and bright the whole season through.
Garam Masala Spiced Cashews
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups cashews, raw and unsalted
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. Garam Masala
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Chile Powder*
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, coat cashews with egg white. Add remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly coated. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread nuts in a single layer on the sheet. Roast, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown (about 25 to 35 minutes total). Break up any clumps, cool, and serve.
Best Ever Eggnog
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 Mexican Vanilla Bean (or your favorite vanilla bean)
2 cups whole milk
2 4" Indonesian Cassia Cinnamon Sticks
4 whole cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. freshly ground Grenada Nutmeg, plus more for garnish
2 oz. brandy per serving (optional)
4 egg whites beaten to soft peaks with 1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
Directions
1. Whisk egg yolks in an electric mixer until lightened in color. Slowly add sugar, beating after each addition, whisking until fluffy.
2. Slice vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the egg-sugar mixture, mixing until incorporated; reserve the rest of vanilla bean.
3. Combine milk, 1 cinnamon stick, cloves, and remaining vanilla bean in a thick-bottomed pan. Slowly heat until the milk is steaming hot, but not boiling.
4. Slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them; add slowly so as not to scramble the eggs.
5. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan of milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon (about 160 degrees on a candy thermometer).
5. Remove from heat and stir in cream and nutmeg.
6. Strain mixture through sieve then cover and refrigerate to chill for at least 1 hour.
7. Serve garnished with a fresh grating of nutmeg and cinnamon from the remaining cinnamon stick.
Optional: Stir in 2 oz. of brandy per serving for a boozy version and/or fold in or top with beaten egg whites too for a fluffy version.
Photography: Courtesy Savory Spice
