Smoked Horchata Eggnog Cocktail

I’m so happy to be back this week with another Bon Appeteach “Book Club” cocktail! As we embark on the holiday season, I have worked to try and tie in the fall series theme (popular books through the decades), while at the same time making the cocktails all “merry and bright”.

I feel like this week’s novel, A Wrinkle In Time (or as I like to say- A Wrinkle In Tequila), by Madeleine L’Engle is making this possible. I believe I read this story sometime in my childhood, but I honestly can’t say I remember much about it.

The basis of the story is about a few characters who travel through space and time and battle the time-old debate of good vs. evil. This sounds like a great metaphor for anytime someone drinks tequila, wouldn’t you agree?

Find the full cocktail recipe below and read off for preparation tips and this week’s food pairing, Steak & Cranberry Chimichurri Crostini!

Smoked Horchata Eggnog Cocktail:

This cocktail was based on the Smoked Horchata cocktail recipe from the famous bar, Death & Co. They are a great resource for inspiration and I highly suggest that if you love making cocktails, you add this book to your Christmas list! I’ve listed a lot of substitutions as well for those of you that are keto and low-carb eaters, so I highly suggest reading through!

Horchata Egg Nog Ingredients:

• 4 Egg Yolks (use pasteurized eggs if preferred)
• 1/2 cup Sugar or Low Carb Sweetener (I use Lakanto for keto)
• 2 cups Rice Milk (sub almond milk if keto)
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Grated Nutmeg
• 2 tsp Cinnamon Syrup (can make keto cinnamon simple syrup)
• 1/2 cup Toasted Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Toasted Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Smoked Horchata Eggnog Cocktail Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Reposado Tequila
• 1 oz. Mezcal (I used Vida)
• 2 oz. Horchata Eggnog
• 1/2 oz. Cinnamon Syrup
• Fresh Grated Nutmeg & Cinnamon Stick Garnish
• A dollop of whipped cream for good measure if it floats your boat

How To Prepare This Drink:

To make this cocktail you can easily buy store bought eggnog and store bought horchata and use an ounce of each. Death & Co. make their own in-house horchata blend so I combined that recipe, tweaked it, and made it into eggnog for a rich and creamy holiday drink. 

Begin by combining the almond flour and the coconut flakes in a frying pan. Toast the mixture over medium heat until it becomes fragrant and starts to brown. Set it aside. To make the eggnog, mix the egg yolks and sugar (sub with low carb sweetener for keto friendly) together in a bowl and whisk until creamy.

In a pot over low heat, combine the rice milk (sub almond milk for keto friendly) and the heavy cream. Make sure to stir continuously to prevent scorching. Temper in the egg yolks (add a small amount of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks in the bowl and mix, then add that whole mixture back into the large pot) to prevent the eggs from cooking and turning solid.

Whisk on medium heat until it begins to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and mix in the cinnamon simple syrup, nutmeg, and the toasted coconut/almond mixture. Allow it to cool to room temperature if blended in a traditional blender.

You can blend in two or three batches, but do not do this when it is hot. TRUST ME! You and your kitchen will thank me… You can also opt to use an immersion blender as well (this is ok to do while warm).

Once the mixture is fully blended, use a fine strainer and strain the liquid into a pitcher to help remove the excess almond flour and coconut flakes. Store in a pitcher in the fridge for up to three days.

Luckily, the cocktail is much simpler to make. In a cocktail shaker, combine the two tequilas over ice. Add in the cinnamon syrup and the horchata eggnog. Shake until chilled and pour either over ice in a rocks glass, or be extra fancy like me and place in a coupe glass instead.

Garnish with an (optional) dollop of whipped cream, freshly grated nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick for good measure.

Smoked Horchata Eggnog Cocktail

Smoky flavors of mezcal tequila mixed with a homemade horchata eggnog

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Course: Cocktails

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

• For the Horchata Eggnog makes about 4 cups-
• 4 Egg Yolks use pasteurized eggs if preferred
• 1/2 cup Sugar or Low Carb Sweetener I use Lakanta for keto
• 2 cups Rice Milk sub almond milk if keto
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Grated Nutmeg
• 2 tsp Cinnamon Syrup can make keto cinnamon simple syrup
• 1/2 cup Toasted Almond Flour
• 1/2 cup Toasted Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
• For the Smoked Horchata Eggnog Cocktail:
• 1 oz. Reposado Tequila
• 1 oz. Mezcal I used Vida
• 2 oz. Horchata Eggnog
• 1/2 oz. Cinnamon Syrup keto syrup optional
• Fresh Grated Nutmeg & Cinnamon Stick Garnish
• Dollop of whipped cream for good measure if it floats your boat

Instructions

• To make the Horchata Eggnog- Begin by combining the almond flour and the coconut flakes in a frying pan. Toast the mixture over medium heat until it becomes fragrant and starts to brown. Set it aside.
• To make the eggnog, mix the egg yolks and sugar (sub with low carb sweetener for keto friendly) together in a bowl and whisk until creamy. In a pot over low heat, combine the rice milk (sub almond milk for keto friendly) and the heavy cream. Make sure to stir continuously to prevent scorching.
• Temper in the egg yolks (add a small amount of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks in the bowl and mix, then add that whole mixture back into the large pot) to prevent the eggs from cooking.
• Whisk on medium heat until it begins to thicken and can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and mix in the cinnamon simple syrup, nutmeg, and the coconut/ almond mixture.
• Allow it to cool to room temperature if blending in a traditional blender. You can blend in two or three batches, but do not do this when it is hot. TRUST ME! You and your kitchen will thank me… You can also opt to use an immersion blender as well (this is ok to do while warm). Once the mixture is fully blended, use a fine strainer and strain the liquid into a pitcher to help remove the excess almond flour and coconut flakes. Store in a pitcher in the fridge for up to three days.
• To make the cocktail- In a cocktail shaker with ice, add in the reposado, the mezcal, cinnamon simple syrup, and horchata eggnog. Shake until mixed and chilled and pour into a coupe glass (or rocks glass over ice if preferred). Add a dollop of whipped cream, fresh grated nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick.