By Miriam Kinunda
Eggnog is simple to make and good for your kids. Please try to make this for your kids. They will appreciate you; it almost tastes like custard but better.
One of the first American Christmas traditions I learned in 1990 when I arrived in Canada (the first time to be out of Africa), was the drink known as Eggnog. I was hooked onto eggnog. Little did I know it was a seasonal drink. After Christmas I went back to the store to buy more but I was told to wait until next Christmas. I do not want to tell you how upset I was.
I went to complain to my Canadian friends about it. Lucky me, someone knew how to make eggnog and she showed me. The rest was history.
Just as any other foreign recipe, I would always spice up the recipe with a Swahili touch. I decided to remove the nutmeg and all other ingredients that did not go well with my Swahili tongue instead, I added my favorite ingredient, “cardamom”. What would I do without cardamom? I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients
6 egg white
¾ cup white sugar
3 cups whole milk
1 ½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ tsp cardamom powder (make sure it is fresh ground)
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 inches long)
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolk with hand mixer while adding sugar a little bit at a time, until the yolks are light and fluffy and sugar is dissolved.
In a different pan, mix milk, cream, cinnamon and cardamom. Heat on a medium heat until the mixture boils. Stir all the time. Then remove from heat.
Then gradually add hot milk in the egg yolk, about a ¼ a cup at a time while beating the eggs, you do not want the eggs to be scrambled. All you want is to make a smooth textured drink. Continue until all the milk is mixed well with the egg yolk. Remove the cinnamon stick before mixing in with egg.
Then return everything to the pan, cook and continue to stir until is almost reaching a boiling point.
Remove and filter just incase if you feel there are a tinny particles of scrambled eggs. We want to have a smooth texture.
Put in a mixing bowl and refrigerate until cold.
Serve chilled.
NOTE: For grown ups, in step 5, add ½ a cup of bourbon whiskey, rum or brandy
About Miriam Kinunda
Miriam Kinunda is the founder and curator of Taste of Tanzania a website that showcases various Tanzanian spices, recipes, and cuisines. She is also an author of a soon to be published book, Taste of Tanzania. Modern Swahili Recipes for the West. The book will be available at your nearest book store and online at Amazon.com
