Here are all the reasons why my holiday experiment with homemade eggnog was terrible (in no particular order):
1. I used whole milk. Not creamy enough. I should've tried using half-and-half.
2. I didn't sweeten it enough.
3. It has raw eggs in it. How does one overcome a lifetime of fear and dread over repercussions from ingesting raw eggs? Cookie dough excluded, of course.
4. I may not have had enough raw egg in it.
5. Frankly, I just don't like nutmeg very much.
6. Frankly, I just don't like brandy very much.
So there you go. My husband tasted it and tried to put a positive spin on it, saying, "Well, maybe you just have to let it sit in the fridge for awhile." Code for "Let's put this away and make hot chocolate instead, before we get a holiday case of salmonella." Smart man.
If you have an eggnog recipe you swear by, I'm all ears, but next year maybe we'll try making some wassail instead.
Hope your holidays were full of peace, joy, generosity, and good eats!
You. crack. me. up. :)
ReplyDeleteThe raw egg makes me nervous, too! I made Tiramisu when my daughter was pregnant and then I wouldn't let her eat it. For a festive holiday drink, without raw eggs, try this. Haven't made it for a few years but I guarantee it is awesome:
ReplyDeleteBRANDY ALEXANDERS WITH ICE CREAM
1 cup brandy
2 cups dark creme de cocoa
1 pail vanilla ice cream
Take out 1/2 of softened ice cream and place in a bowl. Put in the liquor and mix well. Add the ice cream back in and stir well (the ice cream won't all fit so you might have to eat some). Return to freezer. Allow to soften just before serving. Ladle into glasses and sprinkle top with ground nutmeg. Kind of messy but worth it!
PS - You might like the brandy mixed with ice cream, and you could try cinnamon instead of nutmeg.
when in doubt, add ice cream! sounds yummy, marianne, i'll try it out.
ReplyDeletefor the egg taste try using eggbeaters or other pasteurized eggs from the dairy case. This is how to make some protein drinks also. My Dad made eggnog in the blender and it was always fluffy and yummy. No brandy tho maybe whiskey or vodka? I like rum myself. don't like nutmeg???? well how about allspice or pumpkin pie spice blend? Half and half is a must and maybe some whipping cream if you want that thick texture like the store kind. Maybe a Tbl spoon or two of pudding mix might make it thick without the fat?
ReplyDeleteI love me some eggnog! I think the whole idea is the alcohol takes care of any stray salmonella. Get some healthy eggs and don't worry bout a thing!
great ideas, gram! I never thought about eggbeaters or pudding mix. a friend of mine also said sugar denatures some of the egg bacteria. who knew?
ReplyDelete