I’m sure most of you have heard of eggnog. But how many of you have heard of boiled custard? For me, nothing says Christmas like a glass of that creamy goodness.

 

Boiled Custard

Every year at Christmas, my paternal grandmother made boiled custard. I made it a few times and even introduced friends to it shortly before moving to Tennessee. Though it’s not hard to make, it takes time and is a bit of a hassle, since it’s made using a double boiler.

I don’t remember how long I’d been living in Tennessee when I discovered that boiled custard was sold in grocery stores there. After taste-testing the available brands, I found Kroger’s most closely matched Grandmom’s. From then on, I couldn’t wait for late October and the arrival of boiled custard.

Did You Know…

• My Tennessee Kroger store’s customers nearly revolted one year when the new Milk Manager forgot to order boiled custard. (She didn’t make that mistake again!)
• I started a Christmas tradition when I began transporting half gallon jugs of boiled custard from Tennessee to Texas every year for family and friends.

 

What Is It

Boiled custard is made primarily with eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla flavoring, and can be both a drink and dessert.

Many historians believe it goes back to 1607, the same year the English colonists arrived at what would become the Jamestown Settlement. From Virginia, it migrated south with settlers heading to North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Cumberland Gap Trail through the Appalachian Mountains could also be called the “Boiled Custard” Trail. The tradition of boiled custard is still alive today in this region of the country.

There are many versions of this tasty treat. Which one you know is directly tied to where you and your ancestors came from. In some areas, it’s thicker than a beverage and used as a topping on other desserts. In other areas, it’s thick but drinkable.

Unfortunately, it’s one of those recipes seldom written down. Daughters learned it from their mothers, then taught it to their daughters. Modifications often occurred as it passed from one generation to the next. Sadly, any break in that chain might lead to a family recipe being lost forever.

Did You Know…

• Boiled custard is (or has been) called “Drinking Custard,” “Stirred Custard,” and “Crème Anglaise” (i.e., “English Cream”).
• Boiled custard isn’t just a traditional Southern holiday drink. It’s also used as a nourishing drink to help those who are ill. Sort of a sweet, rich version of “chicken soup” without the chicken.

 

Eggnog

No one knows exactly when and where eggnog was created, but it probably happened during the thirteenth century in England. Likewise, no one knows where its name came from. There are several theories. Maybe it derived from the Old English word for strong beer, nog. Or from the sixteenth century word for a small cup, noggin. Or maybe from the American colonists who called thick drinks grogs, with egg-and-grog eventually being shortened to eggnog.

In the sixteenth century, it was a beverage for aristocrats because milk, eggs, and the, then used, sherry were scarce. By the eighteenth century, it became the quintessence Christmas drink for colonial Americans thanks to a plentiful supply of eggs, milk, and cheap rum.

However it came to be, the first use of the word eggnog was in 1775. A Maryland clergyman and philologist wrote a poem about it. Since it wasn’t published until thirty years after he died, the first-time eggnog appeared in print was in 1788 in the New-Jersey Journal.

Did You Know…

• A Medieval European drink called a posset may have been the forerunner of eggnog. Posset was a drink of hot milk curdled with wine or ale, then flavored with spices.
• Possets were used to cure colds and flu during the Middle Ages.
• Eggnog was also called Milk Punch or Egg Milk Punch when mixed with alcohol.
• Taverns made good money selling eggnog.
• Throughout the 1800s and first half of the 1900s, medical books listed eggnog as a nutritious tonic for illness. It was often given to patients and recovering soldiers.
• In 1892, a scientific journal article proposed using eggnog to treat the “grippe” (flu).
• In 2019, the U.S. purchased 53.5 million bottles of eggnog, spending $185 million. (Down 42% since 1969.)

 

The Differences

Like boiled custard, eggnog is made primarily with eggs, milk, cream, and sugar. Both are classic Christmas drinks. But while the two may bear a strong resemblance to each other, there are four main differences. First, boiled custard is cooked while eggnog usually isn’t. Second, boiled custard can be served warm or cold, while eggnog is only served cold. Third, boiled custard is much thicker. And fourth, the taste. Boiled custard is usually spice- and alcohol-free.

Of the two, eggnog is the one people either love or hate. There is no in between. I’m in the “hate it” column. While I like nutmeg and cinnamon, I don’t want them in my tasty Christmas dessert drink. Same goes for adding alcohol.

Did You Know…

• In 1826, when cadets at West Point’s U.S. Military Academy were told their Christmas eggnog would be alcohol-free, they smuggled in alcohol against orders. Their “spirited” eggnog fueled a military riot by drunken cadets, nineteen of which faced expulsion, suspension, and/or demotion.
• Future President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis, didn’t participate in the West Point military riot, having been sent to his room for drunkenness prior to the riot starting.

 

Final Thoughts

For me, it isn’t Christmas without boiled custard. Now that I’m back in Texas, I have to make it or do without. (I checked and my local Kroger store isn’t able to get their own product.)

Reviewing various recipes, I stumbled upon one that doesn’t require a double boiler. I made it for Thanksgiving and got the nod of approval from the family. (If you’re interested, click here to get the recipe I used.)

Just remember, boiled custard is not really boiled. The secret is to bring the mixture to the brink of boiling and do so slowly. This requires patience and perfect timing. But it’s definitely worth it for that yummy, sweet goodness in a glass.