Spiked White Chocolate Cappuccino

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
‑Joni Mitchell "River"

There are some Christmas albums that I can't live without during the season. Sarah McLachlan's album "Wintersong" is my current favorite. Over the years, it's been Roger Whittaker (when I was little and heard it played over and over at Christmas), then it was Jim Brickman's "Joy to the World", Bruce Cockburn's "Mary Had a Baby", and Natalie MacMaster's "Get Me Through December". My friends tease me because I even like pan flutes at Christmas, but only at Christmas!

There's nothing nicer than curling up with a delicious mug of this hot chocolate, turning the lights down, listening to a favorite Christmas album admiring the lights and decorations on the Christmas tree with a fire crackling in the fireplace.

What's your favorite Christmas album this year?

The recipe calls for brandy, but I didn't have any so I added 2 teaspoons of Tequila. Since the recipe calls for such a small amount, you could leave it out altogether. Chef Steven Vardy (originally from Beckta) gave a cooking class at the local wine store a few years ago, and this was one of the recipes we got to sample.

Recipe
from Chef Steven Vardy

Serves 8

2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half and half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
10 ounces of white chocolate (Amedei is recommended)
2 teaspoons of brandy
½ tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups freshly brewed dark coffee
cocoa powder or grated cocoa nibs, for garnish

Place milk and half and half into a sauce pot. Add scraped vanilla seeds and pod to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in brandy, vanilla, and almond extract. Strain through a fine sieve to remove vanilla bean. Return to a low heat and whisk until frothy using a hand blender. Divide the coffee into mugs and ladle the white chocolate mixture over. Garnish with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or grated cocoa nibs.