Egg nog for the rest of us: Healthy

Here’s an updated version of this holiday season favorite.

Tonight we had company over for an impromtu meal, and one of my guests didn’t want wine, didn’t want a stiff mixed drink. Something ‘good’. Hmmmm. What about a real eggnog, I said. Her eyebrows went up.

“Real eggnog? As in … ?” she said.

“Yup. As in 1850’s and no cream. Real egg.”

In less than five minutes I had these whipped up, with a nice little maple surprise.

In a Boston style shaker: Crushed ice, one egg - whipped up with a fork, 1-1/2 jiggers of simple syrup, 2 jiggers of unfiltered apple cider, and 1-1/2 jiggers of Sapling maple liquor (substitute bourbon whiskey). Shaken vigorously. Strain into a delightful glass, squirt some whipped on top, dash of nutmeg. Voila! This makes two drinks.

Here’s the original post, with the video and my photos:

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Maple syrup liqueur. OMG that's good.

That’s what I was saying this evening, as I lovingly stroked the bottle of Sapling. I’ve had a lot of goofy flavored liqueurs over my travels, the egg schnapps in Stuttgart made for some interesting hangover memories. But this. This. Is. Too. Freaking. Good. For. Words.

Some friends from New York state, who’ve relocated to Reno recently, brought this as a little small batch, hand-crafted gift yesterday.

We know maple around here at Rancho Maven, Mr. Maven is a true downeaster, born in Burlington, Vermont and raised in northern New Hampshire. “Ay-yuh”. I usually get a small case of the little jugs of maple syrup once a year - for us and for friends. It makes a nifty Christmas or housewarming gift. So maple is nice but …. then I saw this.

Tonight we uncorked it. Suggi tried it on the rocks with a float of half n half and a dash of nutmeg. Amazing, but my dysfunctional gallbladder won’t have the fat without pain in return. So I went Sapling neat over some ice. Aw, jeeze.

I could sip on this all night long. A long frosty flickering fireside night of mellow conversation and music - after a day of skiing. A bit of Vaughn Monroe - “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful…” or perhaps “Moonlight In Vermont” - either the Willie Nelson vocal or the instrumental by Stephane Grappelli.

The beauty of Sapling maple liqueur is that it’s not cloyingly sweet. Lightly sweet is how I’d describe it.

But that said, I was sauteeing some pears, apples and raisins for our dessert and used a splash of the Sapling to flame off. It was perfect.

I told Sheldon that Sapling just might be my new secret weapon come Christmas in my 1862 version of egg nog. This could be killer. I could also easily see it splashed into some Peets Uzuri African blend coffee. I think it would be just the right light note paired with a sweeter East African coffee.

Now, I doubt that Ben’s Liquors will have this or can get it. But you can go online to the Sapling website and order it from both a west coast and east coast distributor.

I suggest you order two bottles right away for the cold winter nights to come. Hey, Christmas entertaining and gifting is right around the corner and this would make a spectacular gift.

Eggnog spiked with salmonella?

You’ve gotta hand it to scientists…they’re dedicated. Just don’t ask them for seconds on the nog.

A perennial holiday dilemma: will alcohol kill the bacteria in homemade eggnog? Microbiologists Vince Fischetti and Raymond Schuch, from The Rockefeller University, ran an experiment in the lab to see whether salmonella can survive in a vat of spiked eggnog. Dr. Rebecca Lancefield’s Eggnog Recipe.

Don’t try this at home.