Old-Fashion Toasts

To a Midwesterner like me, the season just isn’t complete without traditional holiday drinks. Oddly, the two that especially come to mind are quite different. One is made hot just before serving, the other is well-chilled, preferably overnight.

Tom and Jerry is a sort of Midwestern equivalent of Irish coffee. The one I remember is made in a warm mug: rum and brandy, topped with fluffy egg batter, boiling water and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Eggnog, on the other hand, is best made the day before and ripened in the refrigerator. The recipe I give here is part of my holiday tradition. I began making it about 30 years ago and found that people are usually surprised that they like it so much--for most of them, the only eggnog they’ve had has come out of a carton.

Eggnog from a carton! What kind of tradition is that?

WISCONSIN-STYLE TOM AND JERRYS

If you are worried about salmonella contamination from raw eggs, be aware that commercially made Tom and Jerry batter, in which the eggs are cooked, is sold in the frozen food sections of many supermarkets. You may also try cooking or microwaving your homemade batter to 160 degrees for at least one minute.

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Boiling hot water

Rum

Brandy

Ground nutmeg

Beat egg yolks until pale yellow. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Beat in sugar bit by bit. Fold whites into yolks.

To serve, warm mugs with hot water, then pour out. Pour 1 ounce each rum and brandy into each mug. Top with 2 heaping tablespoons egg batter. Pour 1/3 cup boiling water into mug and sprinkle with little ground nutmeg.

Note: Although many recipes like this one call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that diners avoid eating raw eggs. Boiling water is poured over the batter, but this may not be enough to “cook” the eggs. Be especially mindful of this information if guests are young, elderly or have weakened immune systems.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

223 calories; 32 mg sodium; 106 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0 fiber.

OLD FASHIONED HOLIDAY EGGNOG

For safety, you might try cooking or microwaving the batter to a temperature of 160 degrees for at least one minute.

4 eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup orange liqueur

3/4 cup brandy

1/3 cup rum

1 quart milk

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Ground nutmeg

Beat egg yolks until light. Gradually beat in sugar until eggs are pale and light yellow in color. Beat in orange liqueur, brandy and rum. Stir in milk. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into whipped cream. Pour egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture and stir until blended. Chill until serving time. Spoon into serving cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Note: Although many recipes like this one call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that diners avoid eating raw eggs. Be especially mindful of this information if guests are young, elderly or have weakened immune systems.

Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

255 calories; 70 mg sodium; 104 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0 fiber.