Tom and Jerry
intro
A frothy, spiced warm holiday cocktail laced with dark rum and brandy, dusted with fresh nutmeg—the iconic cozy Christmas sipper for cold winter evenings.
Ingredients
Steps
Separate Eggs for Batter
Crack all 6 cold eggs one at a time, carefully separating egg whites into the completely dry, grease-free large clear glass mixing bowl, and dropping yolks into the clear glass measuring cup set aside for later. Ensure no trace of yolk falls into the whites, as even a small amount will prevent proper whipping. Let whites rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to achieve maximum volume when beaten.
Whip Egg Whites Stiff
Attach beaters to the stainless steel hand mixer. Beat the room-temperature egg whites on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, adding 1/4 tsp fine sea salt halfway through whipping to stabilize the foam. Stop beating when stiff, glossy peaks form that hold their sharp shape when the mixer is lifted, and the whites do not slide when the bowl is tilted 45 degrees.
Beat Yolk Sugar Mixture
Add the reserved egg yolks, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground cloves to the clear glass measuring cup. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is pale lemon-yellow, thickened, and leaves a slow, thick ribbon that takes 3 seconds to disappear when the beater is lifted from the mixture.
Fold Yolks into Whites
Gently pour the thick spiced yolk mixture over the top of the whipped egg whites in the large mixing bowl. Use the small stainless steel whisk to fold the mixtures together with slow, gentle over-and-under strokes, being careful not to deflate the light egg white foam. Stop folding as soon as no streaks of white or yellow remain; the finished batter will be light, fluffy, and uniform pale golden.
Heat Milk Gently
Pour 4 cups whole milk into the 1.5L stainless steel saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the milk reaches 160°F (71°C), with tiny pinprick bubbles forming around the inner edge of the pan and thin wispy steam rising from the surface. Do not bring the milk to a rolling boil, as this will scald the milk and curdle when mixed with the egg batter.
Portion Batter Spirits
Line up the 6 white ceramic gold-rimmed mugs in a row on the counter. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the fluffy Tom and Jerry batter to the bottom of each mug, then pour 1 tbsp dark rum and 1 tbsp brandy over the batter in each mug. Give the base of each mug a single light stir to loosely combine the batter and spirits.
Top with Hot Milk
Use the long-handled stainless steel ladle to pour hot milk over the batter and spirit mixture in each mug, filling each to 1/2 inch below the rim. Stir each mug gently once or twice to combine; the heat from the milk will melt the batter into a frothy, uniform pale golden drink.
Grate Fresh Nutmeg
Hold the small fine-mesh sieve 2 inches above each mug, grating 2-3 passes of whole nutmeg with the stainless steel nutmeg grinder over the sieve to dust a fine, even layer of nutmeg across the frothy top of each drink. Serve immediately while piping hot.
Tips
2.Avoid boiling the milk at all costs: milk heated above 170°F (77°C) scalds, developing a bitter, burnt flavor and forming curdled protein strands that create a lumpy, unpleasant texture when mixed with the cold egg batter.
3.For a kid-friendly non-alcoholic version, swap the rum and brandy for 1 cup of spiced apple cider added with the hot milk, and increase ground cinnamon and allspice by 1/4 tsp each to replicate the warm, deep flavor of the spirits without alcohol.
OMG, this Tom and Jerry recipe is an absolute game changer for our annual Christmas Eve open house! I was so sick of the sad pre-made batter you get at the grocery store, this homemade version is so rich and frothy, even my picky father-in-law asked for a second mug. SO good with a little extra nutmeg on top, 10/10.
Made this last night for our neighborhood potluck and it was gone in 20 minutes flat. Used dark rum instead of the spiced rum I had on hand once and it was still chef's kiss. Perfect sipper for cold Colorado nights.
I've been making Tom and Jerrys for my family for 50 years and this recipe is almost exactly the one my mom passed down! Only note is I add a tiny pinch of cloves to the batter for extra warmth, but otherwise it's perfect. My grandkids (even the ones who are 21 now!) beg for this every Thanksgiving.
Tried this for my small Friendsgiving gathering last weekend and had a couple hiccups at first — I overbeat the egg whites so the batter was a little runny, but once I fixed that it turned out great. Medium difficulty is spot on, don't rush the egg white step y'all! I paired it with a cinnamon stick garnish and it was chef's kiss.
This is so cozy! Made it for my roommates after we put up our Christmas tree last night and we all sat by the space heater sipping these while watching Home Alone. Used a little extra vanilla extract because I'm obsessed with vanilla, no regrets.
This was SO delicious when I made a test batch last night! Quick question — is there a non-alcoholic version of this that works for kids and people who don't drink? My whole family is coming over for Christmas and I want something that feels festive for everyone, not just the people drinking alcohol.
Brought this to my office holiday party yesterday and people were asking for the recipe before I even finished my first mug! Cook time is actually faster than 8 minutes for me once I got the batter system down, which was perfect for a weeknight event. Only downside is my kitchen smelled like nutmeg for 12 hours after, which is honestly not even a downside lmao.
SO good, but I messed up the first batch because I used cold milk instead of warming it first — total rookie move! Don't be like me, warm the milk slowly so it's nice and steamy but not boiling, otherwise the texture gets weird. Once I fixed that it was perfect, even my boyfriend who hates sweet cocktails loved it.
Made a batch of this for my annual ugly sweater party this past weekend and served it in my vintage Santa mugs, it was such a vibe. Added a little extra brandy because my friends are lushes, and everyone left feeling warm and fuzzy. 10/10 will be making this every year from now on.
I've been searching for a solid Tom and Jerry recipe for years since my grandma stopped making hers, and this is the closest I've found! The batter is so light and fluffy, not cloyingly sweet like a lot of recipes online. I served it after our annual tree lighting ceremony in the neighborhood and it was a total hit.
Made this for our family dinner after my kid's holiday choir concert last night, and even my teen who thinks all 'old person drinks' are lame admitted it was pretty tasty. Skipped the nutmeg garnish because half my family is weird about nutmeg, used cinnamon instead, worked like a charm.
Made this for my holiday girls' night last night after asking about making the batter ahead, and it was perfect! I prepped the batter two days early like the tip said and it came together in 2 minutes once guests arrived. We added a little peppermint schnapps to a few mugs for a fun twist, so good.