Of all the unreal women of cooking, Betty Crocker is by far my favorite. She has been there for me from the beginning. She guided me on my first baking attempts. She helped me cook actual food when I was first on my own. And she still stands ready as a resource. You can find recipes for anything online, and I do. But put a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook in front of me, add a cup of coffee and do not disturb me for at least an hour as I pore over every recipe and photo. Which is why these three festive holiday drinks recipes are making their way onto Vintage Unscripted.
They aren’t from a Betty Crocker cookbook. They’re from the Betty Crocker Step by Step Recipe Cards (1975). Regrettably, I don’t have the whole set, just a few cards that someone deemed worthy of saving, which were scooped up by me at an estate sale. What a lucky day to find holiday drinks among the mix, or “celebration” beverages as they are called.
First is Glögg, a traditional warm spiced wine from the Nordic countries. Glogg, started out as “glödgat vin” (glowing/hot wine) in the 1600s in Sweden. There is some thought that it was an attempt to make the best of poor wine. In the 1800s, it evolved into the drink it is now, with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. How lovely to have a nice simplified version from Betty.
The photo styling in Betty’s cookbooks is always impeccable. Behold those candlesticks and those cups. Appropriate for a Nordic recipe, those candlesticks are Iittala Festivo and the cups are Iittala Tsaikka tea glasses with metal holders from Finland.
Moving on…as far as festive holiday drinks go, eggnog is a requirement. By holidays, I do not mean Halloween. Eggnog made an unwelcome appearance in our grocery store mid October. I will not succumb to the pressure of Big Eggnog and buy a carton. Eggnog shall not touch my cart until Thanksgiving at the earliest. Unless I’m having a sad day; then all bets are off.
Betty has dialed up the festive by adding floating islands of orange sherbet in her eggnog. The recipe calls for raw eggs, but please use a pasteurized egg product. The FDA has very clearly stated that alcohol in eggnog does NOT sterilize the eggs. Eggs in general are very safe to eat. Only .01% of eggs are contaminated. But that didn’t stop a 14 state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis earlier this year. Of the many gifts you want to share with your loved ones, salmonella is not one of them. Please heed the advice of a person who learned the hard way that orchard made cider, fresh squeezed next to a turkey pen and not pasteurized, is a gift that keeps on giving for at least 30 days.
Finally, something new. It would be hard to classify this as a festive holiday drink, but it is fun, which is almost like festive, and it tastes like you’re on holiday. The touch of a sprinkle of peanut brittle on top is [chef’s kiss]. Side note: homemade peanut brittle is an excellent neighbor and co-worker gift and is super easy to make. Therefore, we are proclaiming that Peanut Punch has earned its place among festive holiday drinks.
I had to try this, and it is delicious and so super creamy that it leaves an impressive milk mustache. I took a detour from the recipe and added a banana. Also, I used actual whipped cream and not whipped topping, although I love them equally in my heart.
If you try any of these recipes, let us know! Leave us a comment.
