Tis the season for Vanilla Nut Nog by LBT

Do you love Egg Nog but need a healthier alternative this holiday season?
If you have some time for preparation (about 1 hour) and a good sense of humor then I've found the perfect recipe for you! I tried this recipe out with my sister and a few friends a couple weeks ago. DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:
5 cups Brazil nuts
30 -40 medjool dates (pitted)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (or 5 vanilla beans)
9 -11 cups water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
grated nutmeg

Directions:
1 Soak Brazil nuts in water to cover 8-12 hours.

2 In separate bowl, soak dates and vanilla beans (or extract) together in water to cover 8-12 hours.

3 Drain Brazil nuts, rinse, and drain again.

4 Remove dates and vanilla from water and add enough more water to equal 10 cups.

5 Pour water into blender, add nuts, and process til smooth.

6 Add dates, vanilla, and cinnamon to blender and process til smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally with a spatula.

7 The mixture will be thick. If you want it thinner, add more water and process again.

8 Taste and add more dates, vanilla, or cinnamon if desired and blend again til smooth.

9 Place a nut milk bag in a large bowl, pour in the nog in batches and gently squeeze out the liquid. Pour into clear cups and dust with nutmeg. I used cheese cloth because I couldn't find a "nut milk bag"......I think this is one of the reasons my version was so labor intensive.

10 NOTE: if you don't have a high-speed blender, make the nog in small batches. I strongly suggest this - I didn't do it and it was a pain! Here is the ratio for 1-2 servings:. 1/2 c Brazil nuts (soaked 8-12 hours) 4 pitted Medjool dates AND. 13 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp extract(soaked with dates 8-12 hours) a pinch of cinnamon - enough water added to the date soaking water to equal 1 cup.

I was a skeptic for sure - how could something as silly sounding as "Nut Nog" take the place of creamy, sweet, sugary Egg Nog? Much to my surprise and the surprise of my not so Paleo guests, it was delicious (even before we peppered our drinks with whiskey!)

After you've squeezed out all the Vanilla Nut Nog you're also left with about 5 cups of Brazil nut and date "flour". I couldn't stand the thought of wasting it - Next week I'll post the muffin recipe I created to make the most of my Brazil nut purchase!