Polish Kogel Mogel

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/7/22
Polish Eggnog or Kogel Mogel

MA-K / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
359 Calories
14g Fat
19g Carbs
15g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 359
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 556mg 185%
Sodium 151mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 168mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe for Polish kogel mogel (KOH-ghel MOH-ghel), known as gogel mogel in Yiddish, is a dessert that resembles thickened eggnog. It can be made with or without alcohol. 

Kogel mogel dates to 17th-century Jewish communities in Central Europe, but it gained a resurgence in popularity during the Communist era of the 1980s when sweets were hard to come by.

Polish Egg Brandy (likier jajeczny) is more like traditional eggnog. Because the eggs in this dessert are not cooked, use pasteurized eggs. Freeze the leftover egg whites from this recipe and save them for recipes like meringue torte.

Ingredients

  • 2 large egg yolks, preferably pasteurized

  • 3 teaspoons honey, or sugar

  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

  • Rum or vodka, to taste

  • Raisins, optional, to taste

  • Coarsely chopped nuts, optional, to taste

  • Small marshmallows, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Place egg yolks and 3 teaspoons of honey or sugar in a small bowl and whisk until creamy and thickened. Add 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder if desired. Transfer to a serving glass or ramekin. This dessert can be eaten at room temperature or chilled.

  2. If desired, rum or vodka can be added, as well as raisins, nuts, marshmallows or any other ingredient you desire. Although these are not traditional, they are slowly creeping into modern Polish versions.

What Is Traditional Eggnog?

December is National Eggnog Month in the States. Eggnog is a blend of milk or cream, eggs, nutmeg and usually liquor of some sort, such as rum, brandy or whiskey.

Nonalcoholic versions of eggnog have been served to those who are ill and children as a fortifying beverage. Some eggnogs are made by separating the yolks from the whites and whipping the latter to make a frothier, more airy drink.

Origins of Eggnog

The debate rages on as to how eggnog was developed and by whom. It is speculated that the tradition began in Europe as a riff on the milk-and-wine punches often served at parties. It was used as a toast to one’s health and consumed by the upper class.

The name, one version has it, comes from Colonial America where colonizers referred to thick drinks as “grog” and eggnog as “egg-and-grog." Rum, which was tied to the trade of enslaved Africans, was added to eggnog in Colonial America. As time went on, the South continued the practice while others added whiskey or brandy.

Toasting

Toasting with an alcoholic beverage is a pleasant holdover from days gone by that is traditional on auspicious occasions like the holidays, weddings, baptisms, funerals and more.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.