Hot Buttered Rum

Here is the best recipe for Hot Buttered Rum you will ever find. A friend made this for us some years ago, and it's become one of our holiday favorites. There is nothing better on a cold winter night. It's so good you can even make the drink without the rum, if you want (which I can't understand, but hey, it's up to you.)

Here goes:

1 lb. brown sugar

1/2 lb. butter, softened

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients with a mixer; store in fridge or freezer in a tightly covered container. Will keep for months in the fridge this way -- if you can make it last that long.

If you don't have all the spices, don't worry. Just use what you have. But it will be unbelievably good if you use them all! My absolute favorite source for spices: Penzey's.

To make the drink, fill an Irish coffee mug with boiling water (leaving just enough space at the top for the rum); add 2 heaping Tablespoons of the batter and stir well. Top off with a shot of rum. You can use cinnamon sticks for more stirring, for a nice Martha-esque touch.

I Googled for this recipe, just to see what was out there, and let me tell you there are many inferior Hot Buttered Rum recipes. Don't be fooled. But I enjoyed this bit of advice, on a site with the correct recipe, about what proportions of batter and rum to use:

One theory of hot-toddy making is that it is impossible to use too much batter and you should keep stirring more in until you are bored with stirring. Another theory of hot-toddy making is that it is impossible to use too much rum, and that you should keep stirring in more until your friends panic.

I'd say you couldn't go wrong with either approach. Enjoy!