Itinerant Jason: Warm your soul with a Maker's Mark Tom &Jerry

I have been contemplating my first post of 2011 for a week now. So far I have laid around in my pajamas, grown out my beard, and made dinner for anyone who comes home; that does not inspire a great blog post. However, today the weather changed my routine and I was inspired to share. We are currently being covered in a blanket of snow that is expected to reach eight inches thick. It is wreaking havoc upon Kansas City and I can imagine my friends in New York who have just dug themselves out of two feet of snow rolling their eyes.

Surrounded by cold, I needed something to warm me to the core. A heavy fleece blanket and double socks were not cutting it so I went to an old favorite when snow is falling: a Tom& Jerry.
Tom & Jerry is a classic American Holiday drink. It is a wonderful marshmellowy take on traditional egg nog. It is usually made with Jamaican rum and some people add brandy. Maker's Mark, being my drink of choice, (more on that later) replaces the brandy in my version. It is so easy to make and really warms your soul quickly.

To make enough drinks to warm your soul and a best friend or two, you need:
1 Tbs Jamaican rum, Maker's Mark (to taste), 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, separated, 2 1/2 Tbs sugar, small pinch of ground cloves, small pinch of ground allspice, large pinch of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, fresh nutmeg.

First, lightly beat the yolks, add the vanilla, rum, sugar and spices.

Second, in a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Third, fold the whipped whites into the yolk mixture with a spatula.

It should be smooth and evenly mixed. This is called the base.

While you mix the base, pour the milk into a small sauce pan and bring it just to a boil.

If you are very traditional, their are special Tom & Jerry cups that you can buy; however, this is not a traditional Tom & Jerry, so I am going to use the snowman mug I made in 8th grade ceramics class. You can use whatever mug you prefer.
To make the drinks, fill a quarter of your mug with base. Add as much Maker's Mark into your mug as you would like, everyone can make it as strong as they like. Stir the base and bourbon together.