The lights are up around Nashville and no surprise, it’s getting cold here at the Hard Scuffle Studios. We’re all still stuffed from Thanksgiving, but that hasn’t stopped us from getting prepared for the onslaught of delicious Christmas cookies and holiday treats that will be making their way up to the studio. Yesterday, one of our folks brought in his mom’s homemade chocolate chip cake from Mississippi and it was truly inspirational. We had a hard time leaving that cake alone and no surprise, it didn’t last very long. As a lot of you know, Jim Ed is quite the cook and of course he never leaves us flat in the confectionery department!
Speaking of sweet and wonderful things, here’s something that we all love this time of year, homemade eggnog. Now, if you haven’t had the homemade stuff, then you really haven’t had eggnog at it’s best. Here’s a recipe that’ll knock your socks off and warm up your caboose!
Ingredients
- 6 Egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 cup Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup Light Rum
- 6 Egg whites
- 1/2 cup Bourbon Whiskey (Jim Ed says Wild Turkey 101)
- 1/4 cup Sugar
How To Make Eggnog
In a small mixer bowl beat egg yolks till blended. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar, beating at a high speed till thick and lemon colored.
Stir in milk, stir in rum, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Chill thoroughly. Whip cream. Wash beaters well. In a large mixer bowl beat egg whites till soft peaks form.
Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Fold yolk mixture and whipped cream into egg whites. Serve immediately.
Sprinkle nutmeg over each serving. Serve in a punch bowl or another big bowl.
NOTE: For a nonalcoholic eggnog, prepare Eggnog as above, except omit the bourbon and rum and increase the milk to 3 cups.
Before you run off to make your eggnog, I’d like to quickly share a Christmas-time story from my childhood. To me, this is what the Christmas season is all about. When I was very young, my family had packed up some clothing and food and decided to go downtown to give away these various items to some less fortunate people on a very cold, snowy December evening. At one point, we eventually came across a fellow who was pushing another man in a wheelchair. We could see that the two gentleman were not dressed for the cold weather that we were experiencing. While we were parked on the side of the road, my father motioned to the fellow pushing the wheelchair and let him know that we had a coat to give to him. The gentleman approached our van and graciously accepted the warm coat from our family. Next the fellow turned around and did not put on the coat, but rather he walked back to his friend in the wheelchair and without hesitation put the coat around his friend. It was a touching thing to witness and a story I will never forget. Perhaps practicing the gift of giving will create wonderful memories for yourself and your family as well.
At the end of our radio show, Jim Ed often closes with a message to “do something good for those less fortunate than yourself.” Let’s all keep those words in mind and think of different ways to do some good for the people in need in your community. Whether it be volunteering some time at a local shelter, or buying a few extra cans of food for donation while at the grocery store, remember that as Jim Ed says “It’ll make you feel good!”