Make a batch of homemade Gingerbread Cream Liqueur for a festive drink during the holidays—or any chilly evening. This liqueur is rich and creamy (dairy free), warmly spiced and not overly sweet: the grown-up version of a gingerbread cookie. (Skip to recipe.)

Right now my house looks like holiday chaos: wrapping paper everywhere, baskets of laundry to fold, bags of stocking stuffers by the doorway, and leftover tinsel on the table from a kindergarten concert. Handwashed sweaters are draped over chairs to dry, and a heap of dirty dishes sits beside the sink. Cookie dough waits in the freezer, the garland for the staircase is missing, and I still need gifts for my nieces and nephews.

There are clean sheets to put on beds, a tree to bring in and set up tonight so we can decorate tomorrow, and school thank-you emails to send. There’s also more shopping to do.

But I’m exhausted. This week has been one of the busiest I can remember. Spending time in a grade one classroom the week before Christmas will do that to you: it plunges you straight into the holiday spirit with moments that melt your heart—big smiles, spontaneous hugs, tiny hands sticky with candy.

“How many more sleeps until Santa comes, Mrs. Bose-Johnson?”

“How long until home time?” (at 9:30 in the morning).

“I think I saw him, Mrs. B-J! I really did. I heard his sleigh!”

“Johnny looked at me! He gave me the stink-eye!”

“Here, Mrs. B-J, you can have a piece of my candy cane; I didn’t lick this part.”

“Guess what the elf did in our house last night? He chewed up all the toilet paper!”

“No, I didn’t eat the glue.”

“Here’s a tree decoration I coloured myself. The cat chewed off that corner, but you still like it, don’t you?”

Those moments also make the to-do list seem larger than ever. Hardly a stitch of preparation has been done at home, and our four grown children are arriving from far-flung places in the next two days. Our youngest comes in tonight at midnight from South America. Tomorrow our two daughters and their partners arrive—one flying in from Atlanta, the other driving from Calgary. On Sunday our eldest son and his new wife fly in from Bali. It will be a whirlwind.

I know there will be plenty of love and laughter, but right now the mountain of tasks feels overwhelming. That’s why I’m grateful I managed one important thing: a big quadruple batch of my family’s favorite Gingerbread Cream Liqueur. It’s a must for our tree-decorating party. With the tree up and the liqueur chilled, we’ll have something to toast with when the first wave of kids arrives. I’ve even bottled a few extras to gift to friends.

I’m hoping a creamy sip will help me tackle the wrapping pile. Even if I don’t finish everything, a little Gingerbread Cream liqueur tends to smooth the edges and get me into a merry mood.

I’ve been refining this recipe for years. It’s essentially a gingerbread cookie in liquid form: dark and spicy, silky without dairy, with brown sugar and molasses for that classic gingerbread depth. Coconut and almond milks give the texture, dark rum adds warmth, and a blend of spices—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice—rounds out the flavor.

I’m pouring a glass now and tackling the wrapping. Holiday cheer, here I come.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!

Wishing you a holiday season filled with love, laughter, special family moments, and plenty of delicious feasting.

* * * * *

Kitchen Frau Notes: Use a full-fat, premium coconut milk for the silky richness (do not use lite coconut milk). Molasses varies in intensity: fancy molasses is lightest, cooking molasses is medium, and blackstrap is the darkest and most intense. If you love molasses, try doubling to two tablespoons of blackstrap. I prefer dark Navy rum for its complex flavor, though amber rum will work in a pinch.

Gingerbread Cream Liqueur

gluten free, dairy free

1 cup (210 g) brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 can (14 oz / 398 ml) full-fat premium coconut milk
1 cup (240 ml) almond milk
1 tablespoon blackstrap or cooking molasses (or 2 tablespoons fancy molasses)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (480 ml) dark rum

Combine the brown sugar and dry spices in a medium saucepan. Add a couple of tablespoons of the coconut milk and whisk until smooth, then stir in the remaining coconut milk, almond milk, and molasses.

Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking, until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Strain the cooled mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a container with a pouring spout or a bowl. Pour the rum through the sieve toward the end to help wash the remaining syrup through.

If you didn’t pour the rum through the sieve, add it now along with the vanilla. Whisk to combine, then bottle the liqueur in clean bottles with tight lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to several months. Shake well before serving, as separation can occur depending on the coconut milk and spices may settle to the bottom.

Makes about 5 cups (1.2 L) of Gingerbread Cream Liqueur.

Prosit!

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