Step aside pumpkin spice – your 15 minutes are over (at least for another year). The holidays are quickly approaching and it’s time for eggnog to have its moment.
While pumpkin permeates the culture every fall – from coffee flavoring to air fresheners – too often eggnog gets relegated to a glass that shows up on tables just a few weeks a year.
In the spirit of the season, here is everything you need to know about all things eggnog:
• Although eggnog’s origins are rooted in 14th century England, it didn’t really hit its stride until the American colonies got started. In Europe, milk and eggs were expensive in those days, so only the wealthy could afford to drink something that contained both. In the Americas, colonists had their own dairy cattle and chickens, so it was easy and inexpensive to make the drink that became known as eggnog.
• Typical eggnog includes milk and/or cream, spices like nutmeg and vanilla, some form of alcohol, such as rum, and raw eggs. In the olden days, homemade eggnog contained alcohol in the hopes that it would kill any bacteria that might be present. Today, we add spirits for enjoyment, confident that all-natural pasteurized eggs like Davidson’s Safest Choice mean the raw eggs in eggnog are safe.
• Of course today, you can find eggnog in cartons in the grocery store, in many varieties. If you’re an eggnog lover you’ve probably tried them all … and come to the conclusion that no matter how good store-bought eggnog might be, nothing beats homemade.
• Eggnog isn’t just for drinking. It’s a flavorful, festive ingredient in a range of dishes, from breakfast options like Eggnog-stuffed French Toast to lunch yummies like classic Monte Cristo sandwiches dipped in an eggnog batter and pan-fried. And of course, eggnog has a place of honor in holiday desserts with dishes like Chocolate Eggnog Truffles. Incorporating homemade eggnog into recipes is easy, and it brings out the rich, authentic eggnog flavor that makes holiday dishes special.You can find plenty of eggnog, eggnog-inspired and eggnog infused recipes online at sites like www.safeeggs.com.
