5 Ingredients or Fewer

Vanilla Egg Cream

May 27, 2011
4
4 Ratings
  • Makes 2 drinks (can easily be doubled)
What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Chilled seltzer
Directions
  1. Stir the vanilla bean and seeds into the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
  2. In each of two 10-ounce glasses, stir together 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup and 1/2 cup milk. Fill the glass with seltzer. Give it a stir and taste it before adding all the seltzer -- you want to be sure it doesn't get too dilute.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • phyllis
    phyllis
  • Amy Schleider
    Amy Schleider
  • chrisdls
    chrisdls
  • Chef Michael Kiss
    Chef Michael Kiss
Amanda Hesser

Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

4 Reviews

Chef M. May 28, 2011
I am worried about the cooked milk taste in boiling milk for 3 minutes.
A quick caudle ( bringing to just a simmer and then turning off the heat) of the milk with a short steeping time while it cools will keep the milk from getting the sugary lactic taste. Plus boiling milk may break it.
 
chrisdls May 29, 2011
it looks like you actually make a vanilla sugar syrup (with water) and then add that, once cooled, to cold milk. no cooking of the milk.
 
phyllis May 27, 2011
Ha!!! This is certainly not the recipe the lunch counters in the Bronx & Manhattan used for vanilla egg creams. I love it!!!
 
Amy S. May 27, 2011
Wow, that may be one way to get your non milk drinkers to... "got Milk?" Sounds delicious