Golden Apricot Nog
Submitted by selfsl1
Golden apricot nog made from simmered dried apricots blended with skim milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and stiff meringue, spiked with rum or brandy. A fruity, lighter twist on traditional holiday eggnog.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
15 minREADY
5 hrsForget the heavy cream and raw egg yolks. This holiday nog gets its richness from a completely different place: dried apricots simmered with a cinnamon stick, blended smooth, and folded into whipped egg white meringue with skim milk, vanilla, and nutmeg.
The apricots do the heavy lifting. Simmering them until very tender, then blending with milk creates a naturally thick, golden base with a fruity sweetness that needs far less added sugar than traditional eggnog. The cinnamon stick infuses the apricots during cooking, adding warm spice without any gritty powder.
Chilling for at least four hours is essential. The flavors need time to meld and the apricot base needs to be cold before it meets the meringue. Folding the cold apricot mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites gives the nog a light, mousse-like body that’s closer to a punch than a heavy custard.
Rum or brandy gets stirred in to taste at the end. The alcohol adds warmth and complexity without cooking the meringue.
Kitchen Tips
- Beat the egg whites until stiff but still moist. Over-beaten whites turn dry and grainy when folded into liquid.
- Reserve half a cup of meringue to float on top of the serving bowl for a classic nog presentation.
- Add extra skim milk to thin the consistency to your liking. Some prefer it thick enough to coat a glass; others want it more drinkable.
- Use good-quality dried apricots. Cheap, sulfured apricots can taste metallic.
Variations
- Skip the rum for a family-friendly holiday punch that kids can enjoy.
- Swap the skim milk for oat milk to make this dairy-free (keep the egg whites for the meringue).
- Garnish each glass with a fresh apricot slice or a dusting of cinnamon.
Ingredients
Directions
In a 1 to 2 inch saucepan, combine apricots, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick.
Bring to boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, gently simmer until Apricots are very tender when pierced, about 15 minutes.
Discard Cinnamon.
Let Apricots cool at least 1 hour.
Pour into blender and add milk.
Whirl until mixture is smooth.
Mix in a large bowl with vanilla, milk, and nutmeg.
Cover and chill at least 4 hours or until the next day. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy.
Gradually beat in remaining sugar until whites hold stiff moist peaks.
Set aside about ½ cup of the meringue. Gently whisk Apricot mixture into remaining meringue until smoothly blended.
Stir in Rum or Brandy to taste and enough more Milk to thin to desired consistency.
Pour into serving bowl and float the reserved meringue on top of the liquid.
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