If you’re an eggnog fan, add Tom and Jerry to your holiday cocktail list. It carries the rich alcohol-laced creaminess of Homemade Shaken Eggnog but tastes even better on cold, wet or snowy nights because it’s served warm.
The history of this boozy milk punch is sketchy, but I always envision Saturday morning cartoon cat and mouse squabbles. The Tom and Jerry characters were allegedly named after the drink, which traditionally floats a foamy layer over the hot toddy below it.
It all starts with a spiced, lightly spiked egg batter. I prefer far less sugar than many recipes and a hefty head of foam, so I whip the egg whites separately and fold them into the yolks. Cream of tartar stabilizes the egg whites, which is useful if you aren’t serving all of the batter immediately. You’ll still want to give it a good whipping before serving it out of the fridge.
One batter batch makes up to 10 servings, with your choice of base liquid. Use hot water for a lighter toddy or milk for a richer one. You can even pair the batter with hot cocoa or coffee.
The choice of alcohol is yours as well. I prefer dark rum in the batter and a rum and brandy blend in the warm base. I swap in rye whiskey when I want a little more bite. Bourbon makes the cocktail sweeter, and Cognac elevates its status.
I make Tom and Jerrys with farm-fresh eggs, for reasons I explain in my column on eggnog. The heat of the beverage doesn’t cook the raw eggs – and you wouldn’t want it to. By adding the egg batter, alcohol and then hot liquid to the mug, you avoid a scrambled egg topping.
Tom and Jerry Cocktail
Serves 10
For Tom and Jerry batter:
3 fridge-cold eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ounce dark rum
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus garnish
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
For one cocktail:
2 ounces Tom and Jerry Batter
1 ounce dark rum
1 ounce brandy, Cognac or whiskey
At least 2 ounces boiling water or hot milk
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks well, and then gradually beat in the sugar. Add the rum, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves to the yolk mixture. Fold the stiffened egg whites into the yolk mixture until well mixed. Use immediately or transfer to a lidded container, refrigerate and use within two days for the best texture.
To serve, warm small mugs with boiling water, and then empty the mugs. If the batter has gone flat, whip it until frothy and then measure it into each mug. Slowly pour in the rum and other alcohol and then the hot water or milk without stirring, letting the batter rise to the top. Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and serve immediately.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.