T
his last post
of 2012, it should be a momentous one. As a blogger who is passionate about her blogging this post ought to be witty and have some brilliant
writing so that you are all still talking about this mid-way through 2013. I
wish, but then there's no point in kidding myself that I’m even close to doing
something like that. I could have done a recap/ flashback of the year that 2012
has been, or listed my favourite recipes or my most popular recipes or
something of the sort.
I’ll be honest
and admit that I rarely read those kinds of posts on other blogs unless there’s
something really interesting in the post, so why it’s not fair to expect anyone
else would want to read mine! I’m sure you’re not interested in a summarised
edition of me going on about myself. Let me just say that it’s been a year of
ups and downs though a lot of good has come of it all. All the same, I’d rather
look ahead and walk into 2013.
So I’ll be nice
and spare us both the retrospection and the effort, for me of having to write
it up and you of having to choose between reading it or running away from here
as fast as you can.
I will leave you
with a recipe for a “No-Egg Nog” instead. Why this recipe? Why not an Egg Nog?
Well, I’m just
recovering from a rather bad bout of the flu and its left me with a somewhat nasty
cough and a constant desire to soothe it with something hot. One of the best
home remedies for a persistent cough is a hot glass of milk with a big pinch of
turmeric in it. But I’m in the mood for something else, something a little
festive, especially since there hasn’t been much of a festive feeling here the
past couple of weeks. A Non-Alcoholic Hot Tea Toddy nursed me through my last sore throat and that was pretty good stuff. But this time round, I'm in the mood for something different and an Egg Nog would be it, especially at this time of the year.
This would be
fine except that I cannot take the idea of eggs in something I’m going to
drink. It probably goes back to my childhood when some well-meaning friend of
my mother’s told her that a raw egg in a bit of brandy was a good home remedy
for a persistent cough. You can imagine that my mother must have been desperate
for her to resort to that remedy since we really didn’t eat eggs much and were
a teetotaller family.
So I wanted
something milky, hot and full of “warm” spices. Since an Egg-y Nog was out, I
decided to make an No-Egg Nog. It is the perfect thing for this time of the
year, something that will warm you up and comfort you, especially if you, like
us, would want to end the festive season without eggs or alcohol.
The Egg Nog is
thought to have derived from the British Posset and was in the old days, drunk
by the well to do as they were the only ones who could afford eggs and milk.
Like the Posset, the Egg Nog is a milky drink with was sweetened with sugar,
enriched with raw eggs, cream and spices, and spiked with brandy. Traditionally
it was served hot which must have been perfect during the cold wintry days of
Christmas and the New Year.
The “nog” part
of Egg Nog is thought to have come from the word “Noggin” which was a small
wooden mug used to serve strong alcoholic beverages. Who knows and who cares? If
you like nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in your milk, then this one’s for you.
No eggs or
alcohol in my beverages so I made mine without, and I serve my No-Egg Nog hot.
Some milk, a bit of cream, a couple of spoons of custard powder, sugar and a
nice little helping of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon – that’s all you need for
this Nog. The reipe below is just a set of guidelines. Feel free to work around
it to make what suits your taste.
This No-Egg Nog of
mine is pretty versatile and very child friendly. Thin it down a bit (or take
the cream out) and serve it chilled in summer. Add a little more custard powder
and thicken it into an interesting sauce to serve with chocolate-y desserts
like cake and brownies. Add a little
more custard powder and some cream, and cook it till it’s a little thicker,
then cool it and churn into a No-Egg Nog ice-cream! Use it as cream patisserie and fill pastries,
cakes or cupcakes with it.
My “No-Egg” Nog
Ingredients:
4 cups milk (2%
fat)
100ml cream (25%
fat)
2 tbsp vanilla
flavoured custard powder
6 to 8 tbsp
sugar (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp
vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground
ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
Unsweetened
cocoa powder to garnish/ serve (optional)
Method:
Put the milk and
cream in a saucepan. Add the custard powder and sugar and whisk well. AddPlace
the saucepan on the stove and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat,
constantly stirring to make sure no lumps form. When the mik has thickened
slightly, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Turn off the heat and let
the nog stay in the saucepan for about 10 minutes.
Pout the nog out
into 4 glass mugs and dust with cocoa powder. Serve hot. If you prefer your nog
cold refrigerate it until chilled, stir/shake and serve.
This recipe
serves 4.
On this last post on the last day of 2012, I would like to say a thank you to all of you who have been here and been one of the main reasons behind the motivation to continue talking about good food here. Here's to another year of even better food!
May the coming
year bring you peace,
Success in whatever you do,
Prosperity to you and your family,
And fill your home with happiness.
A Very Happy New Year To You All!
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