December 4, 2009
Talk of the South
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A full bowl of traditional milk punch.
Photo courtesy of Robert M. Peacock, from Southern Cocktails: Dixie Drinks, Party Potions & Classic Libations, Chronicle Books
Good Eats
Martha Foose's Milk Punch
The first time Mississippi chef Martha Hall Foose tasted milk punch, she was at the Chart House in New Orleans, and now the drink is a staple on her holiday menu. Foose, the author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and a James Beard Award-winner, may have found the key to surviving the holidays. “We drink milk punch on Christmas morning after the presents are opened,” Foose says. “Then we all get back in our beds with a big glass while brunch is cooking in the oven.”
Made from half-and-half, superfine sugar, vanilla extract, ice cubes, freshly grated nutmeg, and bourbon or brandy, milk punch is a little bit like a traditional eggnog—minus the raw eggs.
If you try out the recipe, just remember two things. First, the freshly grated nutmeg is sprinkled on top of the punch, never in it. Second, just like eggnog, it’s real easy to find yourself two glasses deep in a hurry.
Milk Punch
Serves 1
1 ½ ounces good bourbon or brandy
2 ounces half-and-half
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
Drop of vanilla extract
Ice cubes
Freshly grated numeg
Combine the bourbon, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly until the mixture is cold and frothy. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with a grating of nutmeg.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea, Clarkson Potter, 2008.
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(9)
I absolutely love Martha Foose's cookbook. It's my first exposure to Southern cooking and I've enjoyed all the recipes that I've tried. I impress my Northern friends with Martha's dishes. :)
By Marta | December 08, 2009 at 02:11 | report | Reply
I always enjoy following your work. Great recipe
By Visitor | December 04, 2009 at 09:52 | report | Reply
Martha is as great an asset to Greenwood, Mississippi as milk punch is to the Christmas holidays. For an even closer look at the type of culinary treats that Screen Doors and Sweet Tea celebrates, come to Martha's Greenwood and cook some Southern food for yourself under the direction of some of the South's most talented chefs at the Viking Cooking School. I had a great time when I attended a class and I know you will too.
By Thomas Gregory | December 04, 2009 at 07:52 | report | Reply
This is definitely a tradition I want to start, but I'm worried I may not get back out of bed for the rest of the day!
By emily | December 04, 2009 at 06:09 | report | Reply
Always love egg nog at the holidays, but I can usually only drink half a glass -- too rich. Great alternative!
By Visitor | December 04, 2009 at 05:19 | report | Reply
I like my moose-milk punch much better. Therefore I make bigger batches. 1 cup vodka, 1/2 cup creme de coca, 1 cup cracked ice, 1 pint ice cream, 1 cup cold coffee, blend until well-mixed.
By Dennis | December 04, 2009 at 04:39 | report | Reply
Cheers! As usual the G&G newsletter has inspired me.
By Visitor | December 04, 2009 at 04:14 | report | Reply
Anyone who frequents Iris restaurant in Memphis: they have an excellent milk punch on the libation menu year round! I never leave without it.
By Mississippian in Memphis | December 04, 2009 at 03:49 | report | Reply
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