Dear Good Life readers,Now that we've all watched approximately 27 Hallmark Channel holiday movies, my brain is officially wrapped in twinkle lights and tinsel. Let's dive straight into holiday baking and boozing! I've got the world's best baked gift (no, it's not cookies), the ultimate way to spike your eggnog and a mind-numbingly simple holiday snack that'll become your new go-to (and it's healthy, too).Before I go: Talk to me! I'd love to hear what you've got cooking. Send your questions to kristen.aiken@huffpost.com and I'll do my best to give you an answer every week.Love, Kristen If you love someone, make them quickbread Baking cookies is great and all, but life doesn't always provide time for using rolling pins and silver dragées. Besides that, I fear the side-eye of my health-conscious friends whenever I come anywhere near them with cookies. Enter: quickbread (i.e. banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.). It's easy to make, and there are plenty of healthy-ish options.It's hard to ruin a quickbread -- the only thing to worry about is doneness. Stick a toothpick in the center: If it comes out wet with batter, keep baking. Then test it every 5 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. (And take it out immediately.)My best tip: Bake your holiday quickbreads in paper loaf pans. The paper is meant to be baked in AND used for gifting. (Caveat: Most recipes are meant for a 9" loaf pan, but paper pans are often smaller — I like this 8" version. If you're worried it'll bake too quickly, just be vigilant with the toothpick tip above.)See those gorgeous photos above? We've got more recipes where those came from, including vegan and gluten-free options. Taste tested: The best booze for eggnog Eggnog, like the holiday parties at which it is served, can be unbearable without alcohol. But what kind of liquor should you use for spiking your eggnog?Bourbon, cognac and dark rum each have vocal adherents, while others vote for some combination of two of those, or even all three. (Martha Stewart is in the “all three” camp.)HuffPost Taste conducted a taste test to settle the question once and for all. We bought a great deal of Trader Joe’s Egg Nog — it scored well in our taste test — and mixed it with various kinds of alcohol, then served it to a panel of tasters to see which one they liked most.After we tallied up everyone’s scorecards, one thing was clear: the best way to spike eggnog is to use two, and only two, kinds of liquor: cognac and rum. Deb Puchalla works on the digital team at Food Network and Cooking Channel, and if there's any one reason to follow her, it's for this brilliant holiday treat alone.Deb: "Duh-fabulous holiday dessert: clementines dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with salt. (Seek seedless!)" No moon dust. No B.S. Just a completely essential daily guide to achieving the good life. Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it.©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe |
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