Mom and Dad’s Egg Cream

Tips:
When I was researching egg creams, I became interested in their history, and there’s a great deal of uncertainty and confusion about it. The best explanations I found were at www.lowcarbluxury.com/eggcream.html (note: I am absolutely not a proponent of low carb diets. It’s merely that this site had the most interesting possibilities I found regarding the origins of this treat). As seems to be the case with a number of foods, everyone has their own way of making egg creams, and everyone insists theirs is the best. My egg cream is somewhat unorthodox, as I use neither the traditional brand of chocolate syrup nor a siphon bottle for my seltzer water. But the traditional brand of chocolate syrup, Fox’s U-Bet, isn’t something I can find locally, so I use what I have. And chilled seltzer water in a regular bottle or from a can works very well for me. It’s easy to play with this recipe to adjust the proportions as you like, but note that all components for an egg cream should be well-chilled before use. This must be served immediately after it is completed, of course.

This is named after my parents because they taste-tested it for me (I don’t like seltzer water). My Mom, who grew up in California, insists that you have to drink this through a straw, though I’ve never heard anyone else say that (try one through a straw and one sipping from the glass; see which you prefer).

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 ounces chocolate syrup (see Note)
• 2 to 3 ounces cold milk (whole or reduced-fat)
• Very cold seltzer water

Method:
Pour the chocolate syrup into the bottom of a tall, straight-sided glass of 12 ounce capacity. Pour the milk on top. With a long-handled spoon, mix the two slightly (you should still see a layer of syrup on the bottom of the glass).

Holding the glass over the sink, slowly pour very cold seltzer water in a thin stream into the center of the glass, holding the seltzer bottle about 12 inches above the top of the glass. The idea is to have the foam come right up to the top of the glass but not spill over the rim of it, and I can make at least two of these in the time it’s taken me to describe the process to you. When done, you’ll have a pale brown foamy head on top, a darker middle layer of chocolatey milk, and a dark bottom layer of chocolate syrup. Beautiful! Serve immediately with (or without) a straw.

Note: If you use the homemade chocolate syrup elsewhere in this column, use the lesser amount for this drink, and don’t stir the milk with the chocolate syrup before adding the seltzer water. Because the homemade chocolate syrup is thinner than the commercial variety, the milk will partially blend with it when the seltzer is poured in, which is the desired effect.

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