Bensonhurst Kitchen: Eggnog Bread
Nobody’s really sure about the exact origins of the word “eggnog”. One thing that’s certain is the rich, frothy, egg and dairy-based drink that’s often spiked with rum has been popular in Bensonhurst for a long time.
It may have originated in East Anglia, Southeast England. Some say the “nog” part could be rooted in the word “noggin” – a Medieval English word for a small carved wooden mug used to serve alcoholic drinks. This beverage would have mainly been drunk by the aristocracy, as England’s lower classes rarely consumed eggs and dairy due to their high cost.
The second theory is that egg nog is simply a combination of the words “egg” and “grog” – a term for a drink made with rum.
While eggnog was a rare treat back in Europe during Colonial times, it was quite popular in the egg and dairy abundant town of New Utrecht.
Imported brandies and wines from Europe were heavily taxed by the British, which made Caribbean rum a logical choice for the alcoholic component of a beverage drunk by the hard working, relatively well-off residents of Kings County, New York.
This week, Colleen shows you how to create a rich dessert bread that includes the custardy, nutmeg-infused goodness of egg nog – a truly Brooklyn ingredient that fits right in with the holiday season.
Colleen’s Eggnog Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup eggnog
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons eggnog
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Bread:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a separate bowl mix eggs, sugar, eggnog, vanilla and melted butter.
Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix together just until incorporated. The batter will be a little lumpy.
Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until it passes the toothpick.
Allow the bread to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Icing:
Combine confectioners sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and eggnog.
Drizzle over cooled loaf of bread.
*If you prefer your icing thinner just add more eggnog 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
TIPS:
Want to add a kick of holiday spirit to your eggnog bread? Add 1 teaspoon of rum to your batter. Looking for more spirit? Substitute a 1/2 tablespoon of eggnog with 1/2 tablespoon of rum when making the icing.
