All about: Eggnog
Eggnog practically doesn't count as a holiday treat anymore, with "Christmas creep" being what it is. I spotted my first eggnog this year on store shelves the week before Halloween, for pity's sake.
That being said, eggnog is still considered one of the classic Christmas indulgences. Rich, thick, creamy, and possibly containing raw eggs. It sounds weird, and it is. A lot of people don't get the deal with eggnog, which I understand. I am kind of on the fence about it, personally.
Image courtesy Flickr/Kenn Wilson
The history of eggnog
Eggnog is so old, no one is really sure where it started. The most likely progenitor of eggnog is a hot milk-based drink called posset, which was popular in medieval Europe. Other sources peg the earliest origins of eggnog in medieval England.
This posh drink was popular with the upper class, who typically mixed it with brandy or sherry. When eggnog traveled across the Atlantic to the American colonies, it was mixed with rum because it was cheaper, due to the tax situation. When rum was scarce, the early Americans cut their eggnog with whiskey or bourbon.
As you can see, historically eggnog has almost always been mixed with alcohol. In contemporary America this is not necessarily the case, and eggnog is even popular as a latte base. I suspect that the reason many people dislike eggnog is that they have never had the alcoholic version. Adding alcohol to eggnog not only makes the flavor richer and more complex (and also boozy), it also lightens the texture of the drink considerably.
Image courtesy Flickr/Hamburger Helper
Eggnog haters
Eggnog's chief characteristics are that it is thick, creamy, and pale. This forms a triad of "foods people often dislike."
Eggnog is also shunned by those who cannot tolerate dairy (there are non-dairy versions available now, but most of them are not very good). And by dieters, who object to the drink on the basis of its shockingly high fat and sugar content. (There are also low-fat and sugar-free eggnogs, but most of these are not very good either.)
Eggnog lattes
I mentioned eggnog lattes earlier. As with alcoholic eggnog, using eggnog in a latte helps improve the texture in two ways: first, because coffee shops cut the eggnog 50/50 with milk so that it is easier to steam. And second, because when it is steamed, the frothing action lightens it up.
Eggnog lattes are practically an institution at most coffee shops. I have been at coffee shops which have run out of eggnog, and believe me, there is practically a riot when this happens.
Image courtesy Flickr/JPDaigle
Eggnog and raw eggs
Traditional eggnog uses raw eggs, it's true. This sounds horrible to our modern sensibilities. (I am old enough to remember when Orange Julius would add a raw egg to your blended drink to make it more frothy for an extra charge.)
Most commercial eggnog mixtures use pasteurized eggs or derivative egg solids, and not very much of them. (In truth, most commercial eggnog is just a suspended mixture of corn syrup, colorings, and milkfat.) This means that your risk of salmonella is low - no higher than the risk of salmonella in anything. It is still wise to keep it properly refrigerated, however.
If you are concerned about the salmonella risk, you may want to seek out a recipe for cooked eggnog. This method tempers the eggs by slowly bringing the mixture up to 160 degrees on the stovetop. It requires the use of a candy thermometer and is a bit more labor intensive than regular eggnog recipes, but it does result in a safer beverage.
If you make tempered eggnog, you will want to skip the optional step of whipping egg whites into the mixture after it has cooled. This step will result in a lighter, frothier eggnog, but it also reintroduces raw egg back into your carefully cooked mixture.
Recipes for homemade eggnog
Eggnog is a pretty simple drink. Alton Brown's recipe is as good a basic eggnog recipe as any, and it includes variations for tempering the eggs with heat for safety, as well as instructions for whipping in raw egg whites if you choose.
The most important factor for success when making eggnog is to use high quality eggs. Skip the usual cheap, tasteless eggs and spring for the more expensive kind. This is one situation where you will definitely be able to tell the difference.
Main image courtesy Flickr/abraham williams