It’s no secret that I grew up in North Dakota and while there’s things I don’t miss (below zero temperatures and mountains of snow), there will always be a few food things I can’t get on the Eastern Shore of Maryland–Everything Grinders from the Red Pepper in Grand Forks, my dad’s skillet fried fish caught fresh in the lake, and Tom & Jerry’s at the holidays. In the Midwest, Tom & Jerry batter can be bought at local grocery stores, so you just pick it up and go. No such luck here–very few people outside the Midwest even know what this is–so a few years ago, my husband offered to figure out how to make it and make me a batch around the holidays. This is what real romance looks like!

A Tom & Jerry is a hot boozy drink, made by adding a shot of some type of brown liquor (brandy, rum, spiced rum, whiskey) to a mug, pouring in hot water to fill the mug, and then adding 2-4 heaping tablespoons of the batter and mixing it up. You’re left with a hot toddy-like drink that’s got a creamy foam on top and lots of sugar and spice in the drink. How much batter you add defines how sweet the drink is. I don’t like mine overly sweet, so I usually do 2-3 spoonfuls of batter, but this is a drink that can be totally customized to your taste! My favorite liquor to use is spiced rum, and any spiced rum will work, but if you’re looking for the best spiced rum (one you can drink on the rocks and have a totally delicious experience) I recommend Seacrets Spiced Rum. Adding a little bit of my home now to my home then!

If you want this to be a family-friendly or non-alcholic drink, the batter can also be added to hot cocoa or warm milk, without the booze.

If you give the recipe a try, I hope you’ll let me know via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or email. I would love to know what you think of one of my favorite things for the holidays!

Josh’s Tom & Jerry Batter

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb butter, melted
1.5 lbs confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions:

1) Beat egg whites and salt until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. (Lift your beater or whisk straight up and the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape.)

2) Beat the egg yolks to soft peaks in a separate bowl. Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix. Do this slowly as to avoid making a cloud of sugar! 🙂

3) Stir in the nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and egg whites. Beat until well blended. Batter can be frozen or kept in refrigerator for several weeks. I divide mine into a few containers, keep one in the fridge, one in the freezer, and gift one to someone who’s never tried it before!

4)To make a Tom and Jerry, add a shot of spiced rum, brandy or liquor of your choice to a mug and fill with hot water, warm milk, hot cocoa, or eggnog (I refuse, but some people do like it this way, just be prepared for a sweeeet drink) and stir in 1-4 heaping tablespoons of batter.

5)Sip slowly, savor and enjoy on a cold night, with a great book.

Looking for other new holiday recipes to try? Don’t miss the Christmas Cracker Toffee recipe. This recipe is the most popular thing I’ve ever posted and the #1 hit on my site!