Just as Christmas shopping begins earlier and earlier each year, so does the holiday season burnout. Hopefully, you haven’t reached that point yet.
If you have, try a relaxing tea break with earl grey vanilla cake. And have an orange-clove tea every night to keep you healthy after all those holiday snacks.
But that may not be enough to get the Christmas spirit back. You may need something stronger. You may have to literally drink some Christmas spirit. A creamy, frothy, eggnog with rum.
The origin of eggnog is as fuzzy as anyone’s memory after drinking a few. The eggnog we know today probably began in England during medieval times, when the upper class - who could afford dairy products and eggs – mixed heated milk with eggs, sugar, spices, and their liquor of choice.
When the recipe reached the American colonies, that liquor of choice became rum. Which led to the theory that “eggnog” was derived from “egg and grog”, a phrase used at the time for drinks mixed with rum.
Eggnog is now generally served cold, but continues as a traditional winter drink, since it still warms the body from the effects of the rum, and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove.
To make eggnog, there are two basic choices – raw eggs or cooked eggs. Traditionally, eggnog is made with raw eggs, but since there have been a few too many reports of tainted eggs recently, more people are turning to eggnog recipes with cooked eggs.
Traditional eggnog is smooth and foamy from the egg whites having lots of air whipped into it. But if you do not want to use any raw egg ingredients, you can still imitate that texture by leaving the cream out of the cooking process, and whipping it up separately. You can top the eggnog with the sugar-free whipped cream or fold it into the eggnog before serving, to create that light, creamy texture of the original.
Try adding in a little rum and sugar to the cream for a layer of rum whipped cream to top the eggnog.
If this drink doesn’t fill you with Christmas spirit, nothing wil…no, no, wait. Just add a shot of bourbon in there. That’ll do the trick.
Christmas Rum Eggnog by Season with Spice
Makes 3 servings
What you’ll need:
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp of Season with Spice'sCeylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp of Season with Spice's Indonesian groundnutmeg
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean (I used 1/2 tsp of Little Pod vanilla paste)
1-2 shots of rum (3-6 tbsp)
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
Process:
1. In a small pot, heat milk on medium-low (if using vanilla bean, slice it open and scrape seeds into pot, and toss the bean in too). Stir occasionally, until small bubbles appear along the edges, and turn heat off. Should be about 5 minutes.
2. In a metal bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Add a quarter of the heated milk into the bowl, while constantly whisking (to prevent the eggs from cooking). Then repeat with another quarter of the milk. Finally, pour everything in the bowl back into the pot, while continuing to whisk.
4. Turn fire on to low, and with a heat-resistant plastic spatula, stir constantly to prevent the mixture from cooking on the bottom of the pot. Without allowing it to boil, heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (or if you have a cooking thermometer – when it reaches 160F to pasteurize the eggs). Should take about 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Layer the bottom of a large bowl with ice cubes, and set a small metal bowl inside. Pour mixture through a strainer into the small, metal bowl. (If using vanilla extract or paste, add it now)
6. Stir mixture occasionally to help cool faster. Once cooled, transfer the mixture into air tight container, and place it in the refrigerator.*
7. While the cooked mixture is cooling in the refrigerator, take out the chilled cream and whip it up until thickened (recipe and tips for sugar-free whipped cream). If you want to make a rum whipped cream, add in a tablespoon of rum and a couple teaspoons of sugar to the cream once it begins to thicken.
8. Place three glasses in the refrigerator, and when cooled, pour eggnog mixture into each glass (about 2/3 full). Add in desired amount of rum and stir well. Then fill each glass up with whipped cream.**
9. Sprinkle cocoa powder, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top, and enjoy your Christmas spirit!
Notes:
* I usually do not add in the alcohol until its ready to serve, since not everyone wants alcohol in it. Without alcohol mixed in, the eggnog will keep for at least a few days in the refrigerator. If you want to store it longer (up to a week or so), mix in the alcohol before refrigerating.
** Alternatively, you can fold in the whipped cream before pouring the eggnog into the glasses for a creamy blended look.
- You can substitute Ceylon cinnamon with our Indonesia cinnamon, but you may need to cut down the amount to prevent the flavor from overpowering the eggnog.
- I use the ratio of one tablespoon of sugar per egg yolk. Eggnog is so rich that adding lots of sugar is unnecessary.
- If you are in a hurry, and the eggnog will be served warm shortly after preparation, you can combine Steps 1, 2 & 3, by mixing all the ingredients together first before cooking. But please note that by heating cold milk with eggs, there is a higher chance the eggs will curdle, so make sure the fire is on low and whisk constantly. (Also, by not scalding milk first, a thicker skin will form on the eggnog when refrigerated)
