Captain's Table Challenge: Holiday!

It's crazy how time flies by as we get older. It seemed like yesterday we were just sitting down to a turkey dinner and then poof! Christmas is here. Well, not exactly but close enough. It's next week... eek! This year will be even more special since my parents will be flying back home to spend not only the holidays but stay for a little longer into the new year. Granted, they will technically be coming in the weekend after Christmas, but that just gives me more time to plan out a fabulous holiday spread for their homecoming. Queue.... the drinks!

Last year around this time I participated in the 'Spice Up the Holidays' campaign with my friends at Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. This year, I've partnered up with them once again for 'The Captain's Table Challenge,' a food-filled program where I'll be highlighting the holidays with food and drink! Specifically, I'll be sharing a food and drink recipe incorporating Captain Morgan's Rum for recipes perfect for Thanksgiving, Holidays and even the Superbowl. To get in on the action, Chef Hugh Acheson will be reviewing all the recipes submitted during the three occasions and a winner will be chosen among the participating bloggers to award a trip to a Captain's Table US Event in the spring of 2014 where they will be joined by Chef Hugh Acheson himself... So stay tuned!

Even better is Captain Morgan is sharing their giving spirit by donating $1 to WhyHunger every time the hashtag #CaptainsTable is used across social media this holiday season. I would love to help them and would encourage you to utilize the hashtag so we can help raise as much money as possible for a great cause.

Now that we flew past Thanksgiving, it's on to the December Holiday celebrations. When I think of Christmas, I immediately think about Christmas morning and the look on Joel's face as he realizes that Santa had come by while he was sleeping. Seeing his reaction to what fun surprises have been left for him really makes the holiday special. And while we're all enjoying the morning opening up presents, I can't help but smell the deliciousness in the air as cinnamon rolls are baking up. This year, I plan on baking up cinnamon rolls once again, only with a slight twist. These Eggnog Brioche Cinnamon Rolls capture the holiday cheer in an appropriate Christmas morning treat. Sweet, buttery and rich brioche dough has a cinnamon and walnut swirl throughout with a touch of eggnog and are finished off with a rum-kissed cream cheese frosting. Another reason why I'm excited about these is the simply fact that they are gluten free...

Eggnog Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

brioche recipe from The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Eggnog:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 ounce Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
freshly grated nutmeg

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolk until it turns a pale light yellow. Add the sugar and whisk until completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, and rum to combine. Season with nutmeg to taste.

GF Brioche Dough:
107 grams white rice flour
255 grams tapioca flour
100 grams ultra fine sugar
10 grams granulated yeast
8 grams kosher salt
7 grans xanthan gum
285 grams lukewarm eggnog (100 degrees or below)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
110 grams melted butter

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine together the flours, sugar, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum.

In a 4 cup measuring cup, combine the eggnog, eggs and melted butter. Slowly pour this into the stand mixer with the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. Continue to beat for 2 minutes until fully combined and incorporated.

Transfer mixture to a large food container with a lid (preferably a 6 quart sized bowl). Cover the dough and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises, which is about 2 hours.

Place risen dough into the refrigerator and chill for 1-2 hours.

Assembling the cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon Swirl:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Captain Morgan Rum
2 cups powdered sugar


Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, set aside.

Using wet hands, shape the dough into a ball and place on a silicone mat. Wet your fingertips and smooth out dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

Combine the cinnamon, brown sugar and walnuts. Sprinkle this cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.

Carefully roll the rectangle into a log, using a bench scraper to help ease it along.

Cut the log into 12 equal pieces and place them in the prepared muffin pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and the dough feels set when touched.

Allow the rolls to cool for 5 minutes, them carefully lift them out of the muffin pan and onto a cooling rack.

While the rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese and rum. Slowly add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Frost the warm cinnamon rolls with the frosting as desired.

Now that Christmas morning has been taken care of, here's a little cocktail will bring in the cheer at those holiday parties. Again, using Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, this Cranberry Ringer Cocktail is a great way to celebrate and mingle with family and friends. Cranberry juice, rum, a squeeze of lime juice and a sprig of mint not only looks festive but tastes refreshing too!

Cranberry Ringer Cocktail

original recipe

1 part Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
2 parts cranberry juice
juice of 1/2 lime or to taste
fresh mint leaves for garnish
ice

Fill a tall glass with ice and add rum. Top with cranberry juice and finish with a squeeze of lime. Garnish with mint if desired.

Now as you enjoy the holidays, stay safe! If you love Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum as much as I do, follow them on social media with the following links...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainMorganUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaptainMorganUS

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