Try making holiday treats a bit healthier

Q: I like eggnog, but I am trying to watch my weight this Christmas. Is there a way to make it less fattening?
– A reader

A: The average American gains about 8 pounds between Thanksgiving day and New Year’s day. So I understand that you want to try to cut back.

EGGNOG
6 cups 1-percent milk
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brandy, bourbon or rum – optional
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup light whipping cream
Bring milk and nutmeg to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Whisk eggs, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk; return mixture to saucepan.
Cook the eggnog over very low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. (Temperature must reach 160°F; do not let eggnog come to a simmer.) Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl.
Whisk in brandy (or bourbon or rum) and vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the eggnog and refrigerate until chilled, for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, add cream to eggnog. Ladle into cups and serve garnished with more grated nutmeg.

Here’s another traditional Christmas favorite of mine that’s a little healthier for you.

HOT CHOCOLATE
4 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Whisk together 1/2 cup milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Heat the remaining 4 cups milk in a medium saucepan until steaming.
Remove from heat and whisk vigorously. Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk and pour into mugs.

RED VELVET CAKE WITH A TWIST
For the cake batter:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 ounces red food coloring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Butter, for pan

For the frosting:
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Equipment needed: 12 by 17-inch jelly roll pan, parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not over-mix.
Butter a sheet pan. Lay parchment on top. Butter the parchment. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top to even the batter out, using an offset spatula. Bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before using.
Invert cake onto a cutting board and slice into quarters from the longer side. To assemble cake, spread 1 of the quarters with some of the frosting to cover. Sprinkle with a quarter of the pecans. Add another layer of cake and repeat. Continue until last layer is added. Frost the top of that and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Q: What is Baked Alaska?
– A reader

A: Baked Alaska is a frozen ice cream dessert. It has a layer of cake on the bottom with ice cream mounded on top. Then, you decorate it with about a half-inch of meringue covering the entire ice cream and cake. Then, this is baked in the oven very quickly until it is golden brown.
Baked Alaska is a great dessert that can be made ahead of time. It is a great dessert to make with the kids also on these cold wintery days. You can decorate it in many different ways.

BAKED ALASKA
For the ice cream cake:
Vegetable oil, for brushing
3 pints peppermint ice cream or the flavor of your choice, softened
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (about 17 crushed wafers)
1 loaf pound cake

For the meringue:
1 cup egg whites (about 6 large), at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the ice cream of your choice – you may chose two flavors and alternate the layers if you like.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you’ll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.) Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Stirred by a culinary question? “Ask the Chef” by e-mail chefrke2@aol.com, visit www.tricityhospitality.com or write Chef Richard Erskine at Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College, 100 Piedmont St., Bristol, VA 24201. Include your name and hometown for publication. A phone number which will not be published should be included for clarification purposes.