Vegan Eggnog Pudding in Raw Ginger Cookie Cups

I hope you're all getting as excited for Christmas as I am (or the holiday season in general if you don't celebrate Christmas), because I've got another Christmas-themed recipe to share with you today!

I've already shared a recipe featuring cranberries, and now I've got a recipe featuring two of my other favourite holiday flavours - gingerbread and eggnog!

I bought two bottles of So Nice Noel Nog (an eggnog flavoured soy milk)  recently, and one of the ways I wanted to use this tasty beverage was in a pudding.  But instead of serving the pudding on its own, I thought it would be fun to serve it in miniature cookie cups.

And to keep these on the healthier - and easier - side, I decided to make raw cookie cups that taste like gingerbread!  There's no baking involved in these cookie cups - just mix together some ingredients in your food processor and press them into mini muffin pans.  Stick the pan in the freezer and voila, you have raw ginger cookies that serve double duty as a cup for your eggnog pudding!

Here's what an unfilled cup looked like...

These started out as an idea in my head that I wasn't sure would work, but luckily they turned out just how I wanted!  The pudding was cool, creamy, and sweet, with a distinct eggnog flavour - even though it was made without "real" eggnog!

I also added a touch of spiced rum to bring out the eggnog flavour even more - I only used a hint of rum because I didn't want it to be overpowering, but feel free to increase the amount for a more grown-up tasting dessert!

The cookie cups were chewy and held their shape well. I loved the mix of salty and spicy notes in the crust, and I thought they made the perfect base to pair with the eggnog flavour. The only caution I would give is that the pudding was a bit on the thin side, so be careful if you bite into a filled cookie cup or you might end up with some pudding spilling out - and you won't want to waste any!

With this recipe, you really get three treats that you can eat any way you like - the pudding is great on its own, the cookie cups can be eaten plain, or you can put them both together and get the best of both combined into one dessert!

Vegan Eggnog Pudding in Raw Ginger Cookie Cups

Pudding
Adapted from this recipe for vanilla pudding

1.5 tbsp cane sugar

1.5 tbsp cornstarch

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup soy nog

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp to 1 tbsp spiced rum (optional)

Place the sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Gradually add the soy nog, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Continue to heat, stirring constantly, for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture thickens.  Continue heating for 2-3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and 1 tsp rum. Taste and add more rum if desired (I only used 1 tsp).  Transfer to a container and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Note: You may want to double the pudding recipe if you want to have enough for all the cookie cups, plus more for eating on its own. Or, you can only make half the recipe for the cookie cups, which is what I did. 

Cookie Cups

Adapted from Young Married Chic's Raw Ginger Cookies

2/3 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup chopped raw cashews

2/3 cup rolled oats

dash of sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

2 tsp molasses

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp non-dairy milk

Place pecans, cashews, and oats in a food processor and process until the mixture is finely ground. Add the salt, spices, molasses, and maple syrup and process again until the mixture starts to stick together.  Add the vanilla and milk and pulse until the dough comes together (you should be able to pinch it into a ball with your fingers).  

Remove mixture from food processor and divide into 14-15 mini-muffin pan cups. For each cup, press the dough down with your fingers so that it moulds in a thin layer around the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cup. 

Place the muffin tin in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, until the cookie cups are firm.  Run a knife around the edges of each cookie cup to carefully remove them. Transfer to a container and return to the freezer to keep them firm.

Makes about 14 cups 

To assemble:

Keep the pudding and cookie cups separate until you are ready to serve. Once the pudding is firm, spoon it into each cookie cup (be careful not to fill them too much or they will overflow when you try to eat them!).  Sprinkle a bit of ground nutmeg over each filled cookie cup.

Note: You may end up with extra cookie cups, depending on how full you fill them with the pudding. Feel free to re-shape any empty cups into cookie dough balls instead! 

Also, you may want to eat these over a plate or napkin - once you bite in, some of the pudding might spill out!  Or you can just eat them the way my sister's boyfriend did - by putting the entire thing in your mouth at once!

This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert & Dogs and Bringing in the Holidays Potluck Party at Lifeologia.