Whipkül

After feeling particularly gloomy yesterday this recipe for Whipkül turned up on my facebook feed from Taste of Shetland. It's a traditional Shetland recipe which must have been a particularly decadent treat in the middle of winter, either as a breakfast in a heavily whipped form, or as a drink.

The combination of eggs, cream, sugar, and rum is fairly wide spread and this is very close to being an eggnog - with Shetland the origins might be Scandinavian, Dutch, Scottish, German, or even come back via America (assuming sailors might have shared the recipe on their travels) but either as Osla's dessert, or my attempt to turn her recipe into a cocktail, it's really good, very festive, and can easily be made for 1 person (in a self caring way, not a get smashed on rum because it's all to much way). 

Whipkül Cocktail. Serves 1

1 egg yolk from a fresh egg,

Half a teaspoon of caster sugar

50ml of double cream

30ml of black seal rum

a grating of fresh nutmeg.

Put the egg yolk, cream, sugar, and rum into a mixing jug with a couple of large cubes of ice and stir gently until everything is well combined and smooth. Strain into a cocktail glass and grate nutmeg over the top. Drink.

If you omit the egg you have something very like a Berlin Blonde without the Triple Sec. The egg adds a silky texture and richness that's worth while if the idea of raw egg doesn't put you off. I think a dark, sweet rum is the way to go on this - it adds colour as well as a punch of flavour, it would be worth experimenting with spiced rum or golden rum depending on what you have though. Black Seal is my favourite dark cocktail rum - not so good that it feels like a shame to mix it with things, but good enough to bring something to any drink it goes in. 

The sugar can be omitted, but it's Christmas so why not have it - golden caster sugar would also be good. I'd have used single cream for this if I had it, in which case I would have shaken rather than stirred the Whipkül. The ice is to both cool the mix so it's ready for immediate drinking, and to dilute the cream a little so that it's sippable rather than spoonable. It would not be the worst way to start New Year with one of these in hand.