Washington’s weather has turned cool, the rugged mountains are piling up with snow, and the holidays are fast approaching. This is certainly a busy time of year for everyone and the dedicated dairy farmers around Washington State are no exception – they are hard at work producing the milk needed to make delectable cheese, cream, and butter that will end up in all those delicious holiday dishes.

During the winter months, dairy farming work doesn’t slow down. The cows must be milked and fed before Santa’s presents are opened on Christmas morning, and holiday gatherings at family members’ homes mean setting aside time afterward to complete evening chores. More than 270 farms across Washington are putting nutritious and delicious products on tables around the country.

Larry Stap, co-owner of Twin Brook Creamery, shares that his family’s farm has been owned and operated since 1910. As a fifth-generation farm, the Stap family knows what it’s like to lovingly tend the land. In fact, Stap shares that Washington’s climate is perfect for raising cows that produce the best of the best dairy products. Winter is one of the busiest seasons, too – because so many dairy products are being used for holiday recipes.

“Washington dairy farms produce high-quality milk all year long,” he explained. “The biggest thing during the holiday season is making sure that there is enough milk to fill all of the milk containers, as a lot of milk and eggnog is consumed during this time of year.”

Stap explained that many dairy products sold in local stores are processed in plants outside the state. This results in less-than-fresh products and can also negatively impact the environment with the additional transportation needed to get the product to the store. Choosing to buy local Washington dairy products is key to getting the freshest, most flavorful products and having the lowest impact on the environment.

“Most everyone wants to combat climate change,” he said. “Buying products made and processed right in Washington reduces transportation costs and in turn, pollution. This also translates to fresher products, which means better quality. The journey on our farm is this: the milk is hauled daily from the farm to our little processing plant every morning. It’s then put on a truck the next morning and distributed to stores over the next couple of days. It’s fast and fresh.” 

Twin Brook Creamery’s milk and cream is produced from purebred Jersey cows raised right there on the farm. With no synthetic hormones used, the cows produce milk with higher protein and butterfat content which yields a robust flavor unlike anything else. This is just one of the many local dairy farms working hard to provide the products that families need for all of their memorable holiday happenings.

Looking for a new recipe to grace your holiday table this year? Try some of these Twin Brook Creamery favorites.

Eggnog Muffins

3 cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 cups Twin Brook Creamery eggnog
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, eggnog, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened, then fold in raisins and pecans. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Flavored Whipped Cream:

1 cup Twin Brook Creamery heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg

So, whether it’s a fun eggnog recipe, fluffy whipped cream to put atop your holiday pumpkin pie, or rich cream cheese to use in your favorite cheesecake recipe, there are many dairy-licious ways to celebrate this holiday season!

To learn more about the commitment and expertise of Washington dairy farmers, get special recipes that use fresh Washington dairy products, or read about the multitude of farms across the state, visit the Dairy Farmers of Washington page here.