The Joy of Eggnog
All I've been talking about for the past few days has been eggnog. One might think that my days are consumed with feverish stirring, heating and and cooling of custards and taking nips from the bottle of bourbon that is never far from my reach. That's only partially correct, though I did dream about eggnog last night. I might have found a winning recipe (fingers crossed).
But first, a follow up on Eggnog #6 (Aunt Kat's):
I didn't even finish making it. Or taste it. After the custard curdled when I added the bourbon, I refrigerated it for a few days, as instructed. I checked in on it today and it looks like oatmeal and smells sour. Maybe the recipe was originally titled "Crazy Aunt Kat Who Can't Cook a Lick's "Creamy" (i.e. Oatmeal-Chunky) Eggnog", but was edited down because of space constraints. Definitely not a winner. Sorry Aunt Kat.
Eggnog #4 "Holiday Eggnog"
Recipe from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I made this several days ago; this also is a make-ahead drink. It is uncooked and alcoholic. Uses lots of bowls, as egg whites are beaten separately and folded into the yolk-and-sugar mixture, then folded into beaten heavy cream with milk, bourbon and rum. After several days in the fridge, it separated into a foamy top egg white layer. After some stirring, it smoothed out. This doesn't taste like eggnog. It tastes like homemade Baileys Irish Cream. I'm keeping this one for mudslides or Irish coffee.
ease of preparation: -, uses lots of bowls and requires lots of cleanup
flavor: + good, but not eggnoggy
texture: +/-, creamy and silky, but kind of thin for eggnog
Eggnog #7 "Cooked Eggnog"
Recipe from The Joy of Cooking. I knew I could count on ol' Irma to lead me through the joy of eggnog. This recipe is what I thought an eggnog recipe should be, especially after the curdling incidents. The custard is cooked slowly over very low heat, strained into a bowl or jar and refrigerated uncovered. When cooled, the alcohol is added (and thoughtful Irma gives a choice of brandy, Cognac, dark rum or bourbon; I chose bourbon since it was in my hand anyway). That ruminates a while in the fridge, then is topped with nutmeg just before serving. The only problem with this recipe was that I added a bit too much bourbon, so it was quite strong. A lighter touch would be perfect.
ease of preparation: +/- Used few bowls/tools, but required constant stirring over low heat, which took an eternity
flavor: +
texture: +, so smooth and creamy, thick enough to be eggnog but thin enough to drink.
I still have another recipe to try. Best get on that, if I'm to finish this snackdown by tomorrow.
P.S. I don't have spell check on my computer anymore. Live with it. I do.