Seattle(st)’s Best Egg Nog
Over at Seattlest, I’m revealing the age-old secrets of my family’s egg nog recipe, passed down from my maternal great-grandfather J. P. Hartt. This is the stuff of legends, dear reader, and it’s been corrupting the youth of my family for generations. We’ve never been a video-camera kind of gang, but our one family gathering on tape, the Christmas of 1987, is now famous for my (then) eight-year-old cousin Katie’s announcement that her favorite part of the holiday was “drinking egg nog with boooooze in it.”
Egg nog gets a bad rap* in some circles today, and it’s no wonder: all too often, it’s nasty, viscous, cloying stuff, no better than cheap melted ice cream. J. P. Hartt’s rendition is the greatest of exceptions. Smooth, sophisticated, and with a slurpability that belies its richness, it is subtly sweet and, needless to say, very, very boozy. Cheers to you and yours, from me and mine.
*If you are concerned about the safety (or lack thereof) of using raw eggs, please read my notes in the comments section of the post.
posted by Molly at 9:31 PM
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14 Comments:
Eggnog must be in the air, my dear! I'm so glad to find out you share my passion for the eggy goodness, though I must admit I'm just as happy drinking it G-rated as R. If only we could get together and taste-test our versions side by side...
OMG...that looks so sinfully delicious ...especially with that red and black background.
Melissa, my dear, 'tis the season! Your nog sounds absolutely luscious, booze or no. No matter what time of year, the next time you're out Seattle way, a side-by-side taste-test is in order.
And Michelle, thank you! "Sinfully delicious" is right...
The first egg nog I made was a catastrophy. Un-drinkable and so pungent liquor-wise.
But reading this recipe makes me want to try again. I'll make it today to bring it tomorrow to a party (25 people). See? I'm not even affraid to try it and bring the result to a public place :-) I'm quite sure this one won't decieve me.
Having just made this stuff, I have to say, it is DEADLY! (in the best possible sense of the word).
Zoubida, I hope this one meets with your approval! I took some to my office holiday (lunch-)party yesterday, and it was met with hearty enthusiasm. It is unabashedly boozy, but I've yet to meet anyone who thought it was too much so. And I often get compliments on its relatively thin texture, which makes it a bit more "drinkable." It's not as thick as other heavily yolky or cream-rich nogs and thus is a bit easier going down...or is that the booze?
And Wren, precisely! Welcome to the family.
Well the egg nog was a *HIT* at my niece's birthday party yesterday. Very few of the guests ever tasted egg nog in their life (guests were form France, Algeria, Martinique, Haiti and 2 couples from Québec.)
Only the couple from Québec knew what egg nog was and had it previously (the store bought kind).
It was quite a conversation piece twice during the evening. The french name of the drink "Lait de Poule" (literally translated: "Chicken's Milk") provoked jokes and laughters. Everybody was amazed at the silky texture and soft yet rich flavours.
Since there were few muslim guests, I made 2 versions of egg nog, your version with booze and an acohol free "Top Nog" from "The Traveler's Lunch Box" for muslims and kids attending.
Thank you for this great recipe which I will make again for the 3 Christmas parties we're invited to next week.
I made this nog too on friday night and my boyfriend and I have drank almost the whole batch already! I will never go back to store bought again!
Zoubida, you're most welcome! I'm so glad to hear that the "lait de poule" was a success--and with quite an international crowd too! J. P. Hartt would be very proud. Happy holidays to you!
And Karin, you and that boyfriend of yours have very good taste! My batch disappeared quickly too, but another is sure to surface this weekend...
Hi Molly, wanted to check in again to let you know that I needed to make another batch of eggnog as well and have now given it to several large groups. Everyone seems to love this stuff with many proclaiming it the best they've ever had and many eggnog haters actually loving it too! I feel very proud that I am now the bearer of the best nog thanks to you!
Karin, you're doing J. P. Hartt proud! I hope your 2006 is a happy one, floating in on a sea of boozy nog...
Imbibing eggnog made with this recipe is like playing Russian roulette. You might dodge the bullet, but why take the risk. There are other ways to enjoy home-made eggnog. Check out this link: http://efoodalert.blogspot.com/2007/12/tis-season-to-drink-eggnog.html
By the way, there’s not enough alcohol in even the most potent eggnog recipe to kill Salmonella!
Isn't the easiest way to avoid the dreaded "Salmonella nog" just to use pasteurized shell eggs? Seems simple.
Yes, that would be an egg-cellent solution.
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