Here in India, eggnog’s have never been an in-thing! While in the west, they are a treasured delicacy and one of the most preferred ingredients for a whole lot of baked treats including all the Christmas specials. I had eggnog for the first time a few years back during a class trial with one of the chefs and I was blown away! Being a vegetarian and someone who has specific preferences for eating eggs, I had always dreaded sampling it because of the extreme eggy taste I had perceived in my mind (the major ingredient of eggnog is egg) but of course, being in this field I have to go outside my set boundaries. I enjoy eggs but not as scrambled eggs, poached eggs, omelets or boiled eggs. I enjoy them in baked goods.
But I still remember as the chef laid down shots of specially prepared eggnog by him in the class, I gladly picked up two for myself, as if they were tequila shots! And, of course, I didn’t gulp them down but as I had the first taste of them, I couldn’t stop cursing myself for why I had avoided this simple yet flavorful eggnog for such a long time!
I always feel the best part of an egg-based recipe is when you don’t get a bad aftertaste of the egg and a rightly prepared eggnog is just that! And as long as you have milk, cream, eggs, sugar in your kitchen and just a little patience, you can make that great eggnog just when the craving hits!
Egg and Eggnog
Traditionally, eggnog is meant to made and aged with liquor for several weeks or even months and is known to develop the best taste as it keeps untouched for this long time. The liquor acts as a sterilizer and a preservative both and it helps to enhance the taste and manifold it many times as it is rested.
Aged eggnog was also a way adopted by the Victorians to keep the seasonal bounty in check. Milk and cream were in abundance in the summer months, and as the eggnog was prepared and aged to be relished in the winters, it made for a perfect winter treat being full of strong spices and alcohol to keep the chills at bay. There are many ways in which eggnog can be made and folding egg whites also help to make the eggnog smoother and frothier but I did still prefer this method of making the eggnog where the egg yolks are cooked with the spices, milk, and cream as it helps to give a certain richness to the recipe.
Always remember to use fresh and organic eggs if possible. Sometimes old eggs can lead to bad taste and aroma. Adding alcohol helps to bring another dimension to the recipe and helps to up the flavor many times. But since I have made a fruit-based eggnog I wouldn’t recommend it with a full heart!
Combining Mango
I have grown up on mangoes. My grandfather had a huge farm, so huge that we could never see the boundary. He had many people employed on the farm who used to take care of the farm along with him and made sure that we kids always enjoyed buckets of mangoes sitting under the shade of the mango trees when we visited our grandfather. I was the naughtiest and my sweet voice always left me blackmailing all of his employees for more and more of those mangoes. I remember sitting on my grandfather’s huge tummy and relishing those mangoes with my little hands as he made sure the ripest ones were always left for me 🙂
Living in Delhi, I remember every school summer vacation meant hogging on those mangoes as my grandfather sent endless cartons of them to us. We used to have 6-10 mangoes daily and not missing on those morning and evening milkshakes as well. A perfectly ripe mango I feel is pure bliss, it’s like that first sip of water that you have after hours of quenching thirst on a hot summer day!
In this recipe, make sure you are using a perfectly ripened mango because the taste comes from that faultless ripe! Mango helps to give such a unique addition to that age-old eggnog and I am personally so proud of this recipe and glad that I decided to combine mango in the eggnog. It’s like I know it’s the one drink I would love to enjoy when I am in a cozy mood watching movies in my room because nothing else would make for a great accompaniment than a chilled glass of mango eggnog on a hot day of this summer.
Precautions to be taken
The combination of dairy and proteins is a delicate blend especially when you are cooking it on the stove top. You need to make sure that you are continuously stirring the mix at all times and not keeping the flame too high. Keep it a little low and stir it at all the times till the mix begins to thicken. If you don’t do this, it might lead to the mixture curdling, and your entire eggnog will be spoiled.
Storing the Eggnog
Alcohol-based eggnogs can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator. But this mango eggnog is best consumed in one day. Also, remember to keep it refrigerated before you consume it, its best enjoyed chilled in summers until and unless its winters of course!
RECIPE:
Thick, creamy, smooth, and flavorful this eggnog is the best thing you will have when you are in the mood for a unique summer drink. The addition of mango helps to uplift the flavor and brings more freshness to the recipe. Mangoes and those spices are a deathly combo in this one!
Ingredients:
1 1/4 tsp Allspice powder (A mixture of green cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg)
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 cup Sugar
1 1/4 cup Milk
3/4 cup Cream
1/2 cup Mango puree
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Method:
- Take egg yolk in a bowl, add sugar and mango puree. Whisk till pale and frothy.
- Take a saucepan and pour milk and cream into it. Add allspice powder as well and keep stirring till it comes to a simmer.
- Now add some of the cream mix into the mango and egg mix. Keep whisking continuously as you do this.
- Pour the mango mix back to the remaining mix in the saucepan and cook on very low heat till it thickens. Make sure you keep stirring it continuously otherwise the mix may begin curdling.
- Once the mix has thickened, take it off the gas and let it cool down. Add in some vanilla and mix well.
- Chill for 4 to 6 hours. Pour it into serving glass and enjoy.