Eggnog

So, having grown up in Portugal but having been blessed with a childhood abundant with Hollywood season specials (sue me, I was 11), I have always wondered about eggnog. The simple thought of drinking whiskey and egg all in one has always sort of made me throw up a little, quite frankly. That was until – yes, there’s an until. A couple of jingle bells seasons ago, my boyfriend’s uncle was in the neighbourhood – which was in Milan back then – and brought us a box full of booze (don’t ask). In it there was a bottle of egg liquor, “vov” (the name comes from the Paduan term “vovi” which means “eggs”) or “bombardino”, like Italians tend to refer to it. Anyway, the thing was gross. We had to taste it of course but that dense – almost solid – super sweet substance took too long to finally crawl down into our throats – revolting. So we shoved it in the fridge and forgot about it for a while. And then came that (in)famous poker night in our flat and we were all out of everything. Except Bombardino. Yep, mr. Bombardino was still sitting in our fridge. So some brave friend decided he wanted a go, “sure, at your own risk”. And he did. And he loved it. Well, he didn’t “love” it but he didn’t throw up either so we thought it deserved another go. Plus, what’s poker without a little booze? So we went for it. And, have to admit it, not bad at all. Turns out that you’re supposed to have it cold, a detail we had completely overlooked the first time round, so it really is much better drinkable when it’s sat in the fridge for a good while. That bottle – which resembled the one below – eventually did finish and I have been tempted to actually buy one after that.

I’m pretty sure there was no one dry humping an egg on the label on our bright yellow bottle, but it definitely looked something like this.

Well, that was a big detour to speak about eggnog. Turns out vov/bombardino is pretty similar to eggnog. The Italian versions are originally made with Marsala, but have also been prepared with whiskey or brandy instead. Eggnog is made with bourbon, but some say rum. Both have egg yolks, loads of sugar and either milk or whipped cream.

I have never made either but thought I’d look up an eggnog recipe to close off this festive season and post it here to try and build up the courage to actually make it myself. Probably not happening anytime soon, but hey, if you do – please let me know how it goes. There are hundreds of recipes out there but this one seemed quite simple (simpler than the supposedly simple ones) and I enjoyed the post about it. Plus, it’s supposed to be the most famous eggnog of all. How could I argue with that?

•    2 cups bourbon
•    1-1/8 cups sugar
•     6 egg yolks, beaten
•     4 cups whipping cream

1. Blend bourbon and sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Let sit overnight if you can wait. If not, don’t worry.
3. Beat egg yolks until they approach viscous yellow bliss.
4. Add to bourbon mixture. Mix well.
5. Cover and let sit in refrigerator at least 2 hours.
6. Whip cream and add to bourbon mixture. Nog starts off very creamy and becomes soupy the longer it survives.

Makes 8 to 10 cups and is apparently good with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.