Often marking the start of the holiday season is the appearance of eggnog in the dairy aisle of your favorite supermarket. Yum. And then there’s the limited edition Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Spicy Eggnog Coffee (by which I find myself quite captivated). More yum.

Thinking that perhaps eggnog is an under-used ingredient in our holiday cooking and baking, I set out to discover a few more ways to give our taste buds a little more ‘nog this year. I checked in with a few of my favorite cooks — all of which had some clever eggnog recipes tucked up their sleeves. And I decided my research would not be complete without consulting with the eggnog experts at Oakhurst Dairy, while dietitian Pam Stuppy was equally willing to share both recipes and a few nutrition tips about eggnog.

Start the day off right — eggnog in the morning

Sally Richards, owner of Center Street Cafe in Auburn, spends most of her days thinking about what to serve for breakfast — so she immediately knew the best recipe to share for creating an eggnog flavor in your cooking — eggnog French toast.

The eggnog flavor is cleverly derived by the blending of its individual ingredients: eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and fresh whipped cream. (Richards prefers the flavor of whole cream, too, not the low-fat varieties).

She loves to add seasonal items to her menu, and using nutmeg and cinnamon at this time of year is a natural, she said. She also uses a lot of pumpkin, cranberries and dates in her muffins and fresh breads. “I’m an experimenter,” she said. “I might even work on eggnog bread. And I love to serve eggnog coffee, too!”

Eggnog French Toast by Sally Richards

Ingredients:

6 eggs

Bread, homemade if possible and thickly sliced

1 teaspoon vanilla, adjusted to taste

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Directions:

Whip the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add up to 2 teaspoons of nutmeg (to taste) and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Dunk the slices of bread into the mixture one at a time; coat thoroughly and evenly on both sides. Cook on a griddle or in a frying pan with butter; until golden brown. Flip and grill the second side.

Place on serving dish; dust with confectioners sugar and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. A perfect complement for your cup of eggnog coffee!

Thinking along the same breakfast line was Jan Barrett, owner of Lewiston’s Ware Street Inn. She shared a recipe that actually includes eggnog in the batter, and quipped merrily, “I’m also going to be maximizing the eggnog availability this season by creating a dessert sauce, eggnog pumpkin bread and eggnog muffins . . . along with my infamous eggnog French toast.” And lest we forget the traditional use of eggnog, she added, “Of course, I often run out of the yummy stuff ’cause it gets used up in tall glasses with ice and rum or bourbon!”

Jan Barrett’s Eggnog Pancakes

Makes about 12 pancakes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup eggnog (without alcohol)

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, butter, eggnog and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, bringing the batter together with several quick strokes. Be careful not to over mix. Cook as you would other pancakes.

Sweet stuff

Stephanie Bernatchez, owner of Maine Gourmet Chocolates of Lewiston — also an experimenter — was quickly caught up with the eggnog challenge, and knew exactly what to do. She immediately modified her popular recipe for cream puffs to incorporate eggnog. When she needed a few taste-testers, I luckily knew a few co-workers who love a good pastry. Pretty much everyone in my office loved her lightly-flavored twist on the traditional cream puff.

Eggnog Cream Puffs by Stephanie Bernatchez

Puffs: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter in 1 cup of water. Once water has come to a boil, remove from heat and add 1 cup flour and stir to form a ball. Place the ball in a mixer and add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. This batter will make 12 good size puffs or about 30 small ones — great for a party platter. 

Drop spoonfuls (Bernatchez uses a small ice cream scoop) on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes. They should be nice and brown, and slightly firm to the touch. Tiny ones take less time to cook than the larger ones. You can make them any size you want — they will puff up double the size of your scoop so do not put them too close together on the sheet.

Once cooked, remove from the cookie sheet to wire racks to cool.

Pudding: Mix 2 cups of eggnog with 1 package instant vanilla pudding. (You replace the milk with the eggnog). Place in the refrigerator to set. Tip: If using a whisk to make the instant pudding, make sure to not over-mix or the pudding will not set. Mix just until the dry mix is incorporated.

Whipping cream: Whip 1/2 pint whipping cream with 1/4 cup of sugar. Once it is whipped to a stiff peak stage, add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Once your puffs have cooled, cut off the very tops of them and save the tops as they will go back on once the puffs are filled. If there is any dough in the puff, remove it with your fingers so the pudding will fill the entire puff. Once you have the puffs prepared, mix 1 cup of the whipped cream into your pudding mixture, being careful to fold and not stir vigorously as you will break down the pudding and it will become runny. Fold gently. Fill the puffs and place the tops back on. Save the left over whipped cream for the glaze. Bernatchez said it would be OK to use Cool Whip or other non-dairy topping if desired.

Glaze: Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a small saucepan over a very low heat, stirring constantly. You do not want this to get too hot or it will sugar and become more like fudge. Once the chips and butter are melted together, add 1/2 cup of your whipped cream and 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered (confectioners) sugar (it is important to sift the sugar so you do not have lumps) and stir until incorporated. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, scant 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. “I always taste as I go” she said, “so if you feel you want more of the spice, add a bit more.” If the glaze is too thin or thick, adjust with more powdered sugar or more whipped cream. The glaze should coat the spoon when dipped in and taken out.

Spoon the glaze down over the puffs, refrigerate until ready to serve. These can be done a day ahead and are best when they have set for several hours. The puffs can be made several days ahead, and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for several days. Note: Puffs can also be filled with various fillings such as lobster salad, ice cream or Mexican bean dip, Bernatchez said. “It’s really endless!”

How to get the flavor WITHOUT eggnog

I first “met” Georgette D’Amour via email, when she was what I referred to as the “weather lady.” She used to report the day’s official high and low temperatures and precipitation amounts to the Sun Journal, which would be printed in the following day’s paper. At some point, D’Amour, of Lisbon, actually came in and met me, and we’ve been friends ever since.

When I randomly asked if she had an eggnog recipe last summer, I shouldn’t have been surprised that she did! It just so happens one of her most favorite holiday candies to make are Chocolate Chip Eggnog Balls, a recipe she says everybody loves — although most people cannot believe the recipe does not include actual eggnog. “But it really does!” she said. Because there is hardly any liquid in the recipe, she said you’ll really get a workout if you try to mix it by hand — the batter is very stiff, and “It’s really hard to stir everything together.” She strongly recommends using a food processor.

Chocolate Chip Eggnog Balls by Georgette D’Amour

6 ounces softened cream cheese (Georgette uses Neufchatel, for the lower fat content)

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon brandy or rum extract (or the real thing, she said)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Finely chopped walnuts, cashews or pecans, your choice

1 tablespoon cream (Georgette uses whole milk)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine cream cheese, sugar, cream and extracts; mix well. Since it is a very stiff, thick batter, it is easiest to use a food processor. Stir in (by hand) the chocolate bits. Drop by rounded teaspoons on a cookie sheet; chill 10 minutes, then roll in nuts. D’Amour usually skips the nuts, as most of her family members prefer them plain.

Store the eggnog balls in an airtight tin or container in a cool place or refrigerator, with waxed paper between the layers. “They’ll keep for weeks,” D’Amour said, “if they last that long!”

Oakhurst Dairy has brought its eggnog into the world of charitable giving. For each container of Egg Nog or Light Egg Nog sold, 5 cents is donated to the Salvation Army. Last year, Oakhurst Dairy sold more than 420,000 cartons to reach its highest annual donation level to date since beginning the tradition 12 years ago. Oakhurst Dairy dietitian Pam Stuppy offers up some recipes and a few health tips for you to enjoy while you contribute to the cause.

Banana Eggnog Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup low fat milk

1/2 cup Oakhurst Egg Nog

Dash nutmeg

Dash cinnamon

Dash cloves

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth; sprinkle with nutmeg. Pour into a glass or travel mug.

Tip: “Here’s a great holiday recipe,” Stuppy said, “that combines the nutrients and fiber of a banana with the calcium, protein, vitamin D and other essential nutrients in milk and yogurt. Using low-fat dairy products and plain yogurt reduces the fat, sugar and calorie content. It’s a tasty and healthy treat for a meal or snack on the go.”

Eggnog Bread Pudding

Serves 4 to 6

4 slices whole grain bread

1/4 cup raisins

2 eggs

1 cup Oakhurst Light Egg Nog

1 cup low fat milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Slice bread into 1-inch cubes; place in baking dish and sprinkle with raisins.

Whisk together eggs, eggnog, milk and nutmeg. Pour egg mixture over bread, thoroughly moistening bread cubes. Set baking dish in slightly larger pan; add hot water to larger pan to about 1” in depth.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until center is set. This can be used for breakfast, dessert or a snack.

Tip: Low fat eggnog and milk provide calcium, vitamin D, protein and other essential nutrients; calories and saturated fat are reduced because of using low-fat forms. Whole grain bread adds fiber and other important nutrients. No sugar is needed due to the sweetness of the eggnog, raisins and nutmeg, while the raisins add fiber, potassium, iron and other nutrients.