Eggnog not just for drinking; try it in holiday baked treats

By CeCe Sullivan
Knight Ridder News Service

Eggnog, a popular holiday drink, can also be used in baked treats. (Barry Wong/Knight Ridder News Service)

The story of eggnog is rich in history and tradition.

"The word 'nog' is an Old English term for ale," writes John Mariani in The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink. The drink also was made with Spanish sherry, but once it hit the shores of America, stronger spirits such as rum and brandy were added.

Evidently that was a huge selling point. In 1826, when informed that their nog would be served without alcohol, thirsty West Point cadets, led by a young Jefferson Davis, rioted during the "grog mutiny."
Our forefathers certainly couldn't have foreseen the current thirst for concoctions such as eggnog lattes, sold throughout the holiday season at just about every coffeehouse and street stand in the region. And according to Randy Eronimous, director of marketing for the Northwest Dairy Association, Seattle-area groceries sold 312,326 gallons of eggnog in 2002. That's a lot of nog.

Even if you are not keen on eggnog, perhaps finding it too thick and rich for drinking, its timeless flavors of milk, nutmeg and rum or brandy work wonders in baked treats. Tiny thumbprint cookies filled with creamy eggnog frosting may be more to your taste, and will fill your home with the spicy scents of the season.

Classic Cooked Eggnog

6 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy or rum

Grated nutmeg for garnish In a large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Stir in two cups of the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film. (The temperature must reach 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

Remove from heat. Stir in remaining two cups of milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. Just before serving, add the brandy or rum. Pour into bowl or pitcher and dust with nutmeg. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Eggnog French Toast

1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups eggnog
2 cups milk
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 slices (about 3/4-inch thick) good quality white bread with crusts
1 cup maple syrup
Optional: 1 teaspoon rum extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Butter the inside of a 2 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

With a large whisk, beat together eggnog, milk, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Arrange bread in the prepared baking dish, overlapping the slices. Pour batter over bread, then turn slices over, making sure that both sides are covered with batter. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, bake the French toast in a preheated 400-degree oven about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

While the dish is baking, warm maple syrup with optional rum extract over medium-low heat. Sift powdered sugar over French toast and serve with the syrup on the side. Makes 5 to 10 servings

Thumbprints with Eggnog Flavors

Thumbprints:

Parchment paper
1 3/4 cups walnut halves
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Rum-flavored filling:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 teaspoon milk
Optional: freshly grated nutmeg

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To prepare the cookies: Grind walnuts finely in a food processor or blender and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
Combine flour and salt. Beat in as much flour as possible with the mixer. Use a wooden spoon or clean hands to work in remaining flour. Chill dough 15 minutes.
Spread walnuts on a plate. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg whites to break them up.
Shape dough into about 1-inch balls. Roll in egg whites, then in nuts. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb or a small melon scoop into the center of each ball, making an indentation.
Bake on center rack of preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from the oven. Lightly press the indentations in the cookies to reform. Transfer to racks to cool.
To prepare the filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and powdered sugar with a spoon until light and fluffy. Beat in rum and vanilla extracts and milk. The filling should have a smooth consistency. Pipe or spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into the center of each cookie. Grate a little fresh nutmeg over the tops. Store in tins in the refrigerator. Makes 30 cookies.
-- Cookies for Christmas by Jennifer D. Darling

Eggnog Rum Bundt Cake

Shortening and all-purpose flour, or nonstick cooking spray for preparing cake pan

Batter:

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2- 1/4 cups superfine sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon prepared eggnog
3 tablespoons dark rum

Glaze:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with shortening and dust with flour, or spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

To prepare the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nutmeg onto a sheet of wax paper. Set aside.

Cream butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer on moderate speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Add superfine sugar in three additions, beating 1 minute after each portion is added. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 45 seconds after each is added. Blend in vanilla extract.

On low speed, alternately add sifted mixture in three additions with the eggnog in two additions, beginning and ending with sifted mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Add rum and beat 30 seconds. (The batter will be medium-thick and very creamy.) Spoon into prepared pan and lightly smooth top with a spatula. Bake on center oven rack 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake set in pan on a cooling rack 10 minutes before unmolding onto a rack.

To prepare glaze: While cake is cooling in the pan, place butter, granulated sugar and rum in a nonreactive saucepan. Set over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Place rack with warm cake on a sheet of wax paper. Spoon glaze over cake in layers, using all of the glaze. Cool completely before wrapping. Makes 16 servings.

-- Adapted from Baking by Flavor by Lisa Yockelson