EGG NOG NATION

 EGG NOG RECIPES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

                   By Doc Lawrence and Lynne Brandon

One priceless holiday tradition is serving homemade egg nog to family and friends. Like Bourbon, one of the primary ingredients, it’s as American as anything that comes to mind. George Washington served it at Mount Vernon, as did Thomas Jefferson to his Monticello guests.

 

Because this is the first year of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, we searched and found the treasured General Robert E. Lee family recipe for the egg nog. Other recipes include one from the founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail, Dale DeGroff, the most respected mixologist in the country today. More than anyone, DeGroff returned the art of the cocktail to the gourmet culture where it originated.

And there’s one from NASCAR legend Junior Johnson featuring one of his own distilled spirits, making the case that egg nog tastes even better when accompanied by a good story.

ROBERT E. LEE'S EGG NOG

From THE ROBERT E. LEE FAMILY COOKING AND HOUSEKEEPING BOOK, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1996, a highly recommended resource for home entertaining. Minimal editing added refrigeration.

The Recipe (makes 1.5 gallons.)

12 Eggs, Separated

12 Tbs, Sugar

7 Wineglasses of Brandy (approx. 5 ounces = 1 wineglass)

5 Wineglasses of Rum (or Bourbon)

2 -3 Quarts of Milk

1 Quart of Cream

Fresh Nutmeg

Beat egg whites till stiff. Beat yolks with sugar till sugar is dissolved (should not feel grainy when run between your fingers).

Fold egg mixtures together. Pour in the brandy and rum, and stir. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour. Add 2 quarts of milk and the cream. Taste – if too strong, then add the 3rd quart of milk, otherwise sprinkle with nutmeg, and let stand overnight on cool porch, or in refrigerator.

UNCLE ANGELO'S EGG NOG

From Dale DeGroff (1 batch - 6 people)  

"This was my Grandmother's brother's recipe. He submitted the recipe to the Four Roses whiskey people in some kind of contest and the PR people or who ever handled the advertising in those days sent a release for him to sign for its use on the bottle and in ads. An engineer, Angelo Gencarelli owned a Granite quarry in Rhode Island and figured out a way to build stone jetties into the ocean without renting barges and tugboats. His Italian stone cutters cut the stone in the quarry in such a way that on side the stone was flat and the trucks could drive out on the jetty as it was being built. He built a lot of the jetties along the East Coast especially in New England, but some here on Long Island as well.

Angelo always had two bowls of egg nog at Christmas, one for the kids and one for the grown-ups. Here is the recipe, and incidentally what made the recipe special was its lightness, twice as much milk as cream and the white of the egg whipped stiff and folded in to the mix, so it was almost like clouds on top of the egg nog."

6 eggs (separated)

1 qt. milk

1 pint cream

1 tbsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

6 oz. bourbon

6 oz. your favorite medium bodied rum 

Put the whites aside in the fridge for the time being. Beat egg yolks well until they turn very light in color, adding half a cup of sugar as you beat, when you think you have beat them enough beat them a little more. Add milk, cream and liquor to finished yolks. Stir well and Chill this mixture. Then when you are ready to serve beat egg whites with 1/4 cup the remaining sugar until they peak. Fold whites into mixture. Grate fresh nutmeg over drink.

JUNIOR JOHNSON'S CATDADDY EGG NOG

Whisk together and cook (stirring constantly for about 30 minutes) until mixture reaches 160F:
8 eggs
3 cups 2% milk
1.5 cup fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar

Strain the cooked mixture into a large bowl, then add:
1 cup Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine
1/2 cup Myer’s Jamaican dark rum
1/2 cup Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
3 Tablespoons St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 Tablespoon homemade cinnamon syrup
1 teaspoon Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

Cover and let age in the refrigerator for as long as you want.

Serve with a dusting of ground nutmeg.

Warmest Wishes For A Wonderful Holiday Season And A Happy New Year!

Enjoy this story about a farm in rural Georgia, the birthplace of Habitat for Humanity:

http://bytheseafuture.org/Southwind_12-16-11.html