RECIPE: Rec: Saffron Eggnog---Ho! Ho! Ho!

[richard-in-cincy]

Saffron Eggnog

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces brandy

1 pinch saffron

4 eggs separated

1/4 cup runny honey

1/4 cup superfine or caster sugar

3/4 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

Preparation:

Heat the brandy in the microwave for 30 seconds on high, then add the saffron and soak for at least 20 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and honey until thick and pale yellow in colour with an electric beater for about 5 minutes then set aside.

Clean the beater, then separately whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Rain the sugar into the whites, beating constantly and continue beating for 5 more minutes.

Pour the cream and milk into the brandy, then pour cream mix over the yolks stirring constantly until combined.

Fold in the whites with a metal spoon until incorporated, then pour into serving glasses and serve.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Rec: Wassail Bowl

Real Wass-Ale! No Orange Juice! No Apple Juice! No TANG!!!!

No Betty Crocker dumbing down history for perky General Foods holiday shilling of their products!

Actual ALE in Wass-Ale (go figure)!!!

Recipe compliments of Pat formerly of Tokyo now in California from many years ago. This is a treasured tradition for Christmas at our house:

Wassail Bowl

In a large saucepan combine:
2 cups water
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 inch stick of cinnamon
6 whole cloves
6 allspice berries
4 coriander seeds
4 cardamom seeds

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it for 10 minutes.

Add:
2 quarts ale
2 bottles Sherry or Madeira
4 cups sugar


Stir and heat the brew but do not let it boil.

Beat 12 egg yolks until they are pale in color and fold in 12 egg whites beaten until stiff. Gradually strain half the ale and Sherry mixture over the eggs.

Turn the brew into a warmed silver (heatproof) punch bowl.

Bring the remaining ale and Sherry to the boiling point and strain it into the egg mixture.

Add 1 cup warmed cognac and 12 roasted lady apples and serve hot.

The apples may be served with the Wassail.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Rec: Flaming Prussian Artillery Punch

or Krambambulli

Begin the punch the day before you plan to serve and assemble when the guests are gathered.

10 whole cloves
2-inch stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
zest of 1 orange (cut off in strips--use a vegetable peeler)
zest of 2 lemons (same as above)
2 quarts white burgundy or Moselle
18 whole blanched almonds
18 pitted prunes (use the lemon scented ones
for extra flavor)
2 inch slice fresh pineapple, skin, eyes, and core removed
1/4 pound golden raisins
3 1/2 oz. candied orange peel, cut into small dice
18 pitted cherries from homemade Morello Cherry Liqueur (or soak the cherries in cognac for a couple days)
1 quart strong black tea, sweetened with 1 cup sugar
1 large sugar cone
3 cups white rum
1 cup cognac
freshly squeezed juice from the orange and lemons

6-qrt flameproof punch bowl.
2 Prussian officers with swords
(since most of us won't have the officers on hand who cross their swords over the punch bowl where the sugar cone is deposited, doused with hot rum and cognac, and ignited, substitute a coarse-mesh metal sieve to place over the punch bowl or two long metal skewers crossed like swords.)

In a saucepan place cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange rind, rind of 1 lemon (note: you have rind of 1 lemon in reserve), and 2 cups white wine. Bring to boil, remove from heat, cover, set out overnight.

Next day: Preheat oven to 350F. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 10- 15 minutes, until pale golden and fragrant (I do this in a dry skillet--careful!). When cool, stuff one in each prune. Cut the pineapple and remaining lemon rind into 1-inch pieces.

Twenty minutes before assembling the punch:
arrange the lemon rind, prunes, pineapple, raisins, candied orange peel, and cherries in the punch bowl. Make the tea, keeping it hot by wrapping the pot in a towel (do not keep on heat and make the tea bitter).

Strain the infused wine into a 3 qrt saucepan, discarding the spices. Add the remaining white wine, bring to a point just below a boil and pour into a large warmed pitcher. Heat rum and cognac over very low heat in a saucepan, place in small decorative pitcher.

Final Assembly:

Have all the ingredients ready on the table in nice containers (silver pitchers and the like). Place the sugar in the sieve and set the sieve over the punch bowl or cross metal skewers over punch bowl and place the sugar cone atop. Pour the rum/cognac over the sugar and ignite with a long match.

Turn the lights down before you light the sugar. Then wait for everyone to Oooooh and AAahhhhhhhhh as your spectacular punch bowl sends blue flames dancing through the air while the sugar melts and trickles into the bowl and the flame dies out. Turn up the lights, add the hot wine, orange, and lemon juices, and tea to the bowl, mix with a ladle. Serve the fruits and punch into warmed glasses on saucers with spoons. I get out my antique ruby glass punch cups and saucers for this.

This punch disappears quickly since everyone is intrigued by it (although I must say guests at my house have become accustomed to me igniting the punch bowl). It is not only a tour de
force to assemble and present, it is delicious.
Definitely a way to impress your friends!

 

[tessie-in-cincy]

Richard - Why don't you bottle some and I'll pick some up!

I can tell you're not chasing little ones around your house. You have a lot more time and energy to put into your yummy creations.

I, on the other hand could use a big cupful of any one of your special concoctions by the time 5:00 rolls around.

I'll be saving your recipes in my drinks file. Sooner or later things have to let up around here.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

LOL We have 1 munchkin at the moment...

Granddaughter is 3. Everyone else is of age and spoils (and keeps occupied) the munchkin while drinking Richard's Punches.

 

[ruthab]

LOL! The title of this recipe cracks me up! ...

I had just figured out what a sugar cone was when I came to the last item in the list of ingredients - the 2 Prussian officers with swords. That's when I TRULY realized how out-of-my-league this recipe was, even in my fondest of dreams )

What a dramatic and beautiful presentation! I can only imagine what an entertaining treat it is for your lucky guests.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[orchid]

I had to do a google search for the sugar cone. I have never seen a>>>

punch like this. It is WOW! And I can't imagine how it tastes.

 

[richard-in-cincy]

Oh but Ruth, I gave subs...

for the Prussian officers! LOL

You can do this without all the fuss by just keeping things in the pots and combining in a big metal bowl. But for big parties, making the big fuss on the kitchen island or dining room table with everyone standing around wide-eyed is such fun.