Creating Christmas Traditions
I have a sort of Christmas tradition and that’s eggnog bread. I stumbled across this recipe years ago when I worked for Better Homes and Gardens and have made it every year since as soon as the eggnog hits the grocery store shelves. You won’t find this recipe in the BHG recipe database. It comes from a defunct magazine called Home Cooking I believe, but caught my attention because it was submitted by a priest who laughed about the rum.
Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure it’s fresh, not last year’s)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (cinnamon also works if nutmeg’s too strong for you)
Beat together in separate small bowl:
- 1 egg
- 1 cup eggnog (lowfat works too)
- 1/2 teaspoon rum (use a quality rum!)
- Melt 1/2 cup melted butter
Add wet mixture into dry until just blended. It will still be lumpy. Bake at 320 degrees for 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes one loaf. Bread can be frozen for future enjoyment.
Baking time and temperature vary depending on your size and type of pan, but I’ve found this recipe to be nearly foolproof. In fact, this recipe has become my go-to for holiday baking because it is nearly foolproof! I’ve baked it into individual pans, cake pans, muffin pans, tin foil loaf pans and once I even got it started and then drove the wet loaves across town to finish baking in a friend’s oven when the electric coil burnt through on my old stove.
Those kinds of challenges are becoming as much my holiday tradition as this eggnog bread. I’m not baking this year as I’m packing to move cross country. I’m cleaning out closets and trying to get my life into boxes light enough to actually lift. All of which brings back memories of my 1st cross-country move when I was inspired to leave California after my sink fell off the wall while I was cooking Thanksgiving turkey. Fortunately this time around, I can afford better housing!
kathybryson 