Try This Eggnog Bread Recipe for Christmas Brunch! (2024)

FAQs

Who was the US president famous for having his own eggnog recipe? ›

Perhaps the most famous historical eggnog recipe is George Washington's, which called for brandy, rye whiskey, Jamaica rum and sherry alongside cream, milk and a dozen heaping spoonfuls of sugar.

It was thought that the use of “luxury” ingredients such as cream and alcohol would invite prosperity into the household for the coming year. In most households today, a cup of eggnog ushers in the good cheer of the holiday more so than any belief in impending wealth.

Eggnog is traditionally made with eggs, egg yolk, sugar, milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract. It's often spiked with brandy, rum or other liquor, and topped with freshly grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon sticks.

Eggnog is typically made with rum, brandy or bourbon, and Brown likes to start with a combination of dark rum and cognac. But there's no need to go premium; he recommends using an affordable, high-proof VS cognac. The higher alcohol level will cut through the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

Franklin Pierce drank a lot. His heavy drinking was well known; when his term of presidency was over, he said: “There is nothing left… but to get drunk.”

"While culinary historians debate its exact lineage, most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval" British drink called posset, which was made with hot milk that was curdled with wine or ale and flavored with spices. In the Middle Ages, posset was used as a cold and flu remedy.

Most plants keep producing eggnog through New Year's, and start dumping their unsold product in January. Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn't need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don't because it's not cost-effective.

Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, no one would say that eggnog is a healthy drink. Even a small serving can pack significant amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. And then there's the fact that homemade eggnog made with raw eggs can be a food-poisoning risk.

Refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells can still be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria such as Salmonella that may be present. If your eggnog recipe calls for raw eggs, it may not be safe.

Avoid white rum because it's too light and transparent. Instead, choose a gold or aged rum. For a fun twist similar to rye whiskey, go with spiced rum. For the best of both classics, pour both brandy and rum, splitting them equally in the eggnog.

What's the difference between eggnog and holiday nog? ›

(What's the difference between eggnog and Holiday Nog? Eggnog must have a minimum 6 percent butterfat and a minimum 1 percent egg yolk by weight; Holiday Nog, which Spangler called a flavored milk product, has 2 percent butterfat and less than 1 percent egg yolk by weight.)

Egg-cellent Eggnog Tips

Rum – I like dark rum in eggnog (Myers's is what I usually buy), but spiced rum would also be fabulous. Whiskey – I typically use Crown Royal, but use what you like or keep on hand.

After giving it a good shake, you can strain and serve right away, or shake it again with ice if you prefer your eggnog extra chilled.

George Washington is the father of our country — but he also knew how to mix a party-starter of a co*cktail. Mount Vernon shared the Founding Father's famous eggnog recipe with Axios — a common (and very boozy) 18th-century creation the Washingtons enjoyed.

“One-quart cream, one-quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one-pint brandy, ½ pint rye whiskey, ½ pint Jamaica rum, ¼ pint sherry – mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of 12 eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating.

But Abraham Lincoln was the only licensed bartender. Lincoln's liquor license was later discovered in 1930 and displayed in a Springfield liquor store.

Historians have also unearthed one of Washington's personal home brew recipes. The New York Public Library has his 1757 recipe for small beer (a type of light ale like a near beer) in Washington's own handwriting. Thomas Jefferson got into making beer in a big way after he left the White House in 1809.