Yesterday was the last market day for the season in Chestertown and I purchased a dozen organic eggs, and later in the day organic milk, cream and half and half...like my friends at Against the Grain, I too believe that fresh, top quality ingredients are essential, in baking, making furniture or egg nog!
This morning, after we opened gifts and ate breakfast, I set myself to work. I decided to work in my Aunt Nilda's small kitchen. She passed away 3 years ago and her small cottage sits empty except for the occasional visitor. I brought some music over, all the ingredients that I needed and for about three hours, at least in my own mind, I communed with my aunt and my father...a nice way to spend a few hours on Christmas...with two people that I greatly admired, loved and miss.
I made enough to give some to a few friends, and just enough to serve with dinner and a last sip (pictured below) as I wrote this posting. The recipe is below for those who may be interested...maybe next year we should think about the First Annual Chestertown Egg Nog Cook Off. That might be a fun event to Celebrate the Holiday, bring some different folks to town and spread the spirit of our departed ancestors to a new generation.
By the way, I tried the Trickling Springs Egg Nog with rum and it was much nicer than with brandy...it was smoother and did not overwhelm the dairy products.
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| Heating milk and separating the yokes |
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| Egg Nog ready to add rum and pour into glasses |
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| Not much left - a bit to inspire these words that I write... |
Ortiz Family Egg Nog Recipe
Ingredients:
12 large egg yokes, 1 quart whole milk, 1 pint half and half, 1 pint heavy cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of water, 1 cup granulated sugar, ground fresh nutmeg, run to taste...(I add 1/3 quart of (amber) dark rum...my father's choice was Bacardi Puerto Rican rum.
- Heat the quart of milk in a pot. When the milk skins over, turn off the flame, carefully remove the skin and cover the pot.
- In a separate larger pot, separate the yokes from the egg white. Hold the yokes in your hand, pierce the yoke sack and let the yoke drip into the pot, discard the yoke sack.
- Pour the entire contents of the sweetened condensed milk into the pot with the egg yokes and stir until mixed together.
- Pour the hot milk into the larger pot with the stirred yokes and sweetened condensed milk.
- In a very small pot boil the cup of water and then pour in the cup of sugar, stirring to make a simple syrup.
- Pour the hot simple syrup into the the hot milk, yokes and condensed milk pot - stir with a rubber spatula making sure you mix anything that is on the bottom or sides of the pot.
- Take a strainer and pour from the large pot, through the strainer and into an even larger pot the milk, yoke, syrup and condensed milk mixture.
- Stir in the tablespoon of vanilla, pint of half and half and pint of heavy cream.
- Stir in rum to taste - I use 1/3 quart - my father used to pour in the quart.
- Grate fresh nutmeg into the egg nog, to taste (don't over do it)
Pour into a mason jar, grate a bit more nutmeg on top just before you put on the lid, tie on a ribbon and you're done! Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or better yet, let it sit around cooling in the refrigerator for a few days.
Yes, there is a lot of cholesterol in this recipe...I know that...I'm not advocating that you drink glasses full...I'm a believer of "all things in moderation" but that very much includes "all things" and for the holidays that includes egg nog! Bon appetite! and Merry Christmas to my father and aunt...
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