22) Eggnog

Nessa loved winter and the various festivities her mentor liked to hold for it. One of her favorite things was helping with the food prep.

All the pastries she had helped to make were now baking in the many ovens in Pratijyah’s kitchen, which meant it was now time to begin the eggnog. It would need to chill while the baked goods cooked. Timing was always important - even with all of the supplies for cooking in her mentor’s kitchen, space was always at a premium.

She cracked the remaining eggs - her helper had helpfully separated them out from the ones she needed for the actual dishes - and then separated them into two bowls. The bowl of egg whites she covered and set aside, before grabbing a whisk and beginning to beat the yolks. Her helper - one of the younger lockettes on the farm - passed her a bowl of sugar, which she began to pour in, carefully beating each portion into the yolks.

Once the sugar bowl was empty, she went to grab a mixture from the nearest stovetop, where she had already had it heating. She checked the temperature in the pot quickly, before carrying it over to her yolk and sugar mixture, though she would be back to the burner soon enough that she didn’t turn it off.

Slowly and carefully, she poured part of the milk and spice mixture into her egg and sugar mixture, whisking rapidly as she did. It was important to be quick and steady - and that was why the eggnog was her duty instead of anyone else’s, because no one besides Pratijyah in the household was swifter or steadier. Curdled eggnog was simply too nasty to drink, after all.

Once the mixture was ready, she hefted the bowl in her free hand, taking the tempered mixture and the remaining milk and spice mixture back to the burner she had used before. The pot went back onto the heat, and then she repeated the process, pouring the tempered mixture into the pan. It required a careful eye, as well - where some of the others working in the kitchen were managing multiple things, she only had this one right now.

When the mixture began to thicken, she checked the temperature again. Satisfied that it was correct, she tossed the thermometer towards the sinks, grinning as she heard it land, and took it off the heat.

Now it was time to stir in the cream, which her helper had fortunately already procured for her. She picked it up, and began to pour it in slowly while she stirred it in, keeping an eye on her helper as she did to be sure they were getting the correct bourbon and rum for her.

Those went in next, along with carefully measured portions of vanilla extract and nutmeg. Nessa inhaled the smell of it happily as she stirred them all in. It was perfect, as always, and she couldn’t wait until all the prep was done so they could start eating.

The last steps for the eggnog were nigh, fortunately. Her helper brought her another large pot and its accompanying strainer, along with a stool. Nessa hated having to use the stool, but due to her unfortunate height, she had to use it to be able to get the full pot above the empty pot so she could work on getting the eggnog through the strainer. While lockettes would be able to eat the cloves just fine, they would interfere with the silky texture the eggnog was supposed to have.

At last, though, that task was done, and she could set it aside to take the egg whites and begin to beat them. Slowly, stiff peaks began to form, and when she was satisfied by their consistency, she began to fold them into the eggnog until the bowl was emptied and they were suitably mixed into the eggnog.

Setting the bowl down, she hefted the pot into her arms and carried it to the refrigerator, waiting for her helper to open the doors for her. Into the refrigerator it went, and at last she was done with the eggnog.

Time to wash her hands and get onto the next task.