Posted on 12/05/2006 10:59:37 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
There are as many stories about the origins of eggnog as there are recipes to make it, from nonalcoholic versions for the whole family to those that pack a powerful alcoholic punch. Even though eggnog sometimes contains raw eggs, with proper preparation it can be a safe and tasty drink for the holidays.
Eggnog is most likely derived from an English drink called posset, or spiced milk, with wine or ale added. Posset was used as a cold medicine in medieval times. The eggnog we know today is often made with eggs, milk (and/or cream), sugar and spices, and if desired, your favorite alcoholic beverage.
In colonial North America, rum was added to eggnog to provide the kick. Rum is still the preferred spirit in eggnog in many parts of the country, although it can be made with bourbon, whiskey, brandy, sherry or nearly any other type of spirit.
Regardless of what spirit if any is added, it's still called eggnog. Some say the name eggnog comes from colonial America, where rum was called grog, so that egg and grog got shortened to eggnog.
Others suggest that the term nog comes from noggin, which can mean either ale or a small wooden mug. A drink made with egg and spirits, served in a small wooden mug, might then have been called eggnog.
Eggnog, no matter where the name comes from, has become an American tradition enjoyed by millions each holiday season.
According to a recipe supplied by the American Egg Board, eggnog is made by mixing six eggs, a quarter cup of sugar, some salt, one quart of milk, vanilla and seasonings to taste. The eggs are beaten with the sugar and salt, half the milk is added, and the mixture is heated slowly to 160 degrees. When the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon, it's removed from the heat, and the remaining milk is added along with the flavorings. The eggnog is cooled in the refrigerator before serving.
In traditional eggnog recipes, raw eggs are whipped with sugar and milk into a thick foam before cream, spices and the spirit of choice are added. However, raw eggs are no longer considered a safe food and should be cooked during processing to ensure safety from contamination. Commercial eggnog is always pasteurized to protect against food poisoning.
For many years, the interior of eggs was considered to be almost sterile, and eating foods made with raw eggs (Hollandaise sauce, eggnog, etc.) was acceptable. Even though mom might have slapped your hand for stealing raw cookie dough, it was unlikely to cause food poisoning.
However, we now know that approximately one egg in 20,000 may contain salmonella enteritidas, introduced either by transfer through the shell or from within the hen before the shell is even made. The bottom line is that even an egg with a clean, intact shell still may be contaminated.
In healthy individuals, Salmonella poisoning results in stomach cramps and diarrhea, symptoms that are often misinterpreted as the flu. In people with compromised immune systems, however, salmonella poisoning can be deadly.
In the recipe above, heating the egg mixture slowly to 160 degrees is sufficient to destroy the salmonella and ensure a beverage safe from contamination. Alternatively, pasteurized eggs, available at the grocery store, can be used, and the heating step can be skipped entirely. Or, some people might accept the risk, about five one-thousandths of 1 percent, of contracting food poisoning by eating raw eggs.
Fortunately, the alcohol in fortified eggnog helps protect against salmonella poisoning. Recent laboratory studies show that alcohol kills salmonella, a fact that has been corroborated in studies where the severity of a food poisoning outbreak was inversely correlated with alcohol intake. For people who ate the same contaminated foods, those who drank the most alcohol with the meal were least likely to come down with food poisoning.
Although it's not recommended to drink eggnog made with raw eggs, eggnog fortified with strong spirits can at least reduce the risk of food poisoning.
Place ~ 4 cups/mugs and one tumbler on the counter
Add ice to suit your needs to the glass
Pour your favorite eggnog mixture into the cups/mugs
Fill the tumbler with a good quality single-malt Scotch
Call the kids into the kitchen to consume the eggnog…
Thank you! That sounds delicious. I've always wanted to make one of those types of pies. Got Pecan, Apple and Pumpkin down pat, but there's always another recipe to learn, isn't there?
LOL! Yours is much simpler, but here's my favorite:
Recipe For Christmas Rum Cake
Ingredients:
* 1 or 2 qts. of rum
* 1 cup butter
* 1/8 tsp. sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup dried fruit
* baking powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* lemon juice
* brown sugar
* nuts
Directions:
1. Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality.
2. Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check the rum again. It must be just right! To be sure the rum is of the highest quality, pour 1 level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter in large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanshile, it’s important to make sure the rum is of the finest quality—try another cup.
4. Open the second quart of rum if necessary. Add 1 arge leggs, 2 cups of fried druits and beat till high.
5. If the druits get stuck in the beats, just pru it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the rum again for cinscistincy.
6. Next, sift 3 cups of salt and feffer (it really doesn’t matter). Sample the wum again.
7. Sift 1 pint of lemon goose, add 1 bablespoon of brown thugar, of whatever color tou can find. Mix well. Grease oven, turn cake pan to 350 greeds.
8. Noe, pour the whole mess sinto the boven and ake. Check the rum again and go to bed.
I am a professional baker and that is my favorite!!! It is so smooth and creamy, sorta like chocolate butter. Oh my heart be still!
If you have any problems let me know. I will be happy to talk you through it.
Mmmmmm! Chocolate butter...
Professional Baker, Eh? I'm stickin' near YOU, LOL!
That's about 1 in 20,000. I would have to eat one raw egg a day for over 54 years to get through 20,000 eggs. I think I stand a higher risk of dying in a car accident. I'm going to enjoy my eggnog and not worry.
I'll never forget my grandfather's receipe for eggnog:
Ingredients:
ice
bourbon
Mix well.
Drink.
Repeat.
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