Grandma Perry’s Tom and Jerry

This is my family’s traditional holiday drink. The best way to serve Tom and Jerries is to make them one at a time. To warm the mugs, fill them with hot tap water and let stand for a minute, then toss out the water. You can have a heated pot of milk ready on the stove, but I usually heat the milk as needed in the microwave.

• Tom and Jerries can also be served from a Tom and Jerry bowl (I have an antique one just like Grandma’s) or a soup tureen as a hot punch. Tom and Jerry bowls are beautiful, but they don’t keep the drink warm without some electrical help. Place the bowl on a flat-topped hot plate (not the coil burner–type) set on the lowest setting. Don’t let the hot punch stand for more than two hours, or the heat may cause curdling. A slow cooker, even set on Low, is too hot and also could curdle the punch.

Makes 10 servings
Make Ahead: The egg mixture can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Ingredients:
• 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 quarts milk, heated until steaming hot
• 1⁄3 cup brandy
• 1⁄3 cup dark rum
• Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, beat together the egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar until very thick and light colored, about 2 minutes.

2. In a separate grease-free, large bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir about a quarter of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites, allowing some of the whites to stay fluffy. (If making the egg mixture ahead, cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before using so it isn’t ice cold; otherwise the drinks will be tepid.)

3. Heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. Take care that the milk doesn’t boil and bubble over.

4. To serve individually, place a heaping spoonful of the egg batter into a warm mug. Add about 1⁄2 tablespoon brandy and 1⁄2 tablespoon rum. Add enough hot milk to fill and stir gently. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve hot.

5. To serve as a punch, gradually whisk about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture into the pot. Stir in the brandy and rum. Heat gently, stirring constantly, just to bring up the temperature a little bit from the addition of the liquor, about 1 minute. Do not heat too much or the eggs will start to cook and thicken the milk.

Immediately transfer to a warmed Tom and Jerry bowl or soup tureen. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve warm.

Small-Batch Tom and Jerry: In a small bowl, whisk 1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 egg yolk until thick. In another small bowl, using a clean whisk, whisk 1 egg white until soft peaks form. Fold the egg white into the yolk mixture, leaving some of the white fluffy. Heat 2 cups milk until hot, either on top of the stove or in a microwave. Divide the egg yolk mixture between two warmed large coffee mugs. Stir 1 tablespoon brandy or dark rum (or a splash of both) into each mug, fill with the hot milk, and stir gently. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve immediately. Makes 2 drinks.

Tom and Jerries for Everyone
Proust had his madeleines, and I have my Tom and Jerries. This warm, soothing milk drink, really hot eggnog, has always been my favorite holiday drink, probably because it was served without fail at my Grandma Perry’s Christmas Eve parties. (The children’s drinks were spiked with a drop of brandy extract.) I remember one year my uncle mixed the egg batter so stiff that he burned out the electric hand mixer. My grandmother was pretty sore—it was not the first

Christmas Eve this had happened. When we opened presents, luckily Santa had thought ahead, and brought her a new mixer that year. This magic absolutely convinced me of Santa’s omnipotence. Every year, I go through my own personal Christmas tradition: I mix up a small batch for myself, turn off all the lights except for the Christmas tree, and toast Grandma and the happy memories she helped create.

It Wouldn’t Be the Holidays Without . . . Champagne
Champagne is practically a synonym for celebration. During the holidays, there are many opportunities to sip a glass of bubbly, from a special holiday meal to a New Year’s Eve toast.

There are a few simple rules to buying Champagne. First, know where it comes from. Real Champagne, with its complex flavor and aroma, is only made in the Champagne region of France, not far from Paris. Even though we Americans use the word to describe any bubbling wine, the truth is, if it isn’t from Champagne, it isn’t real Champagne, and it must be labeled as sparkling wine. Some important names in the Champagne business include Moët-Chandon, Veuve-Clicquot, and Bollinger. These are top of the line, and are worth every penny they cost.

It is not just the grapes and the soil conditions that make Champagne special, but also its painstaking natural fermentation process. Called methode Champenoise, this is almost always indicated on the label. Sparkling wines made in other locations can still make their wine by the Champagne method. By contrast, cheap sparkling wines are injected with carbon dioxide to create the bubbles, and the results are dramatically different, to say the least.

There are less expensive, very good sparkling wines from France that are excellent bargains. (Not to be deceptive, but with their French labels, most guests will assume they are drinking the real thing.) Some of the French sparkling wines are called blanc des blancs, which means that they are made completely from white, not red grapes. Blanc des noirs, with a pink tinge, are made from red grapes. Some Spanish sparkling wines also are good values. California makes some fine sparkling wines, many made by American divisions of European Champagne families, like Domaine Chandon.

There is only one way to buy Champagne or sparkling wine, and that is according to your budget. For a small party, go all out and buy the best you can afford. But a larger event may call for some restraint. Consider the collective taste of your guest list, and if you think that a less expensive sparkling wine would be enjoyed as much as a pricey one, buy the cheaper variety. However, don’t buy a very cheap sparkling wine just because you think you should have something bubbly. They just don’t taste very good, and I don’t care what anyone says, they can be responsible for some pretty nasty post-party hangovers.

If at all possible, serve your sparkling wine in glassware, not plastic. It makes a big difference in the tone of the party. If you don’t feel like renting glasses, look in restaurant supply stores and price clubs and purchase a case or two. After a couple of annual parties, your initial investment will have paid off. I bought some at a post-holiday sale many years ago, and have never regretted it.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101 - p22'.