SpiceLines

Embry's book, by the way, is out of print; used paperback copies start at $150--which is making me handle B's yellowing dog-eared 1958 edition a bit more carefully. Anyway, the author gives half a dozen recipes that call for all sorts of headache-inducing liquor combinations and every possible variation on eggs, milk and cream. Franklin Farms Egg Nog, for instance, combines a quart of Jamica Rum, a pint of Peach Brandy and three cups of heavy cream. The cream is beaten with the yolks, then comes the sugar and finally the liquor. Half of the dozen stiffly beaten egg whites are folded into the yolk mixture, while the other half float on top of the punch bowl. Not so Baltimore Egg Nog in which brandy, rum and cognac are first beaten into the yolks, followed by sugar, milk and cream. All the stiffly beaten whites are folded in at the end.

Clearly there are as many ways to make egg nogs as there are cooks. Still Embry provides four rules worth considering:
1. Beat the yolks until they are light and frothy, then add sugar and finally the liquor, in that order. Let the mixture stand for an hour so that the liquor can “cook” the eggs.
2. If using stiffly beaten whites, fold them carefully into the yolk mixture. Do not beat. This will keep the nog light and foamy.
3. When beating the egg whites, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every four eggs.
4. Keep the nog in “a cool place” until serving. Refrigerate, but never add ice.

Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of egg nog, all in the interest of perfecting the recipe, of course. I quickly found that Gertrude’s method makes a very liquid nog, delicious but thin and runny. So I fiddled with it, separating the yolks and whites, and eventually adding a spoonful of Mexican vanilla and--sorry, Gertrude--some half-and-half. And I broke at least one of Embry’s rules: I beat the whites just to soft peaks and then beat them briskly into the yolk mixture. This makes a thick eggnog, both foamy and creamy, not too frothy but all together marvelous. The difficulty is drinking only one.

No doubt you're wondering about the raw eggs. After quaffing upwards of two dozen nogs, I’m tempted to say, “Don’t worry.” (Of, course, I've also been feeling unusually carefree in the last few days.) The bourbon—don’t use the single barrel stuff, please; Dickel or Wild Turkey are just fine-- basically cooks the yolk and probably the whites as well. Still anyone with a weak or compromised immune system should probably buy pasteurized eggs to avoid the risk of salmonella.

And of course no one’s forcing you to whip up this delicious homemade nog. You can always buy the pasteurized, homogenized stuff at the supermarket for a risk-free Christmas libation.


Old Fashioned Southern Egg Nog with Bourbon and Vanilla

To serve 2, generously

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup half and half

Method:

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until frothy. Add the vanilla and whisk. Slowly drizzle in the bourbon and whisk until combined. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are thick and foamy and form soft peaks.
3. Slowly add the half and half to the yolks, whisking to combine. Then add the beaten egg whites and whisk again, making sure that they are thoroughly mixed.
4. Ladle into two cups or glasses and serve at once. Or if desired, set the egg nog in the refrigerator for an hour, then whisk again to combine and serve.