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Only available for purchase in most areas during the holiday season, eggnog delights as well as frustrates  people every year. Why should such a rich, creamy, delicious treat be available so rarely? I see no reason to wait for retailers to decide that it is time to indulge! Luckily, for eggnog lovers, it is easy to make at home with simple ingredients and, as usual it tastes even better when you make it yourself! Double bonus!

Now, I must admit that I was not raised on eggnog. I have no timeless family recipe to treasure. My husband loves eggnog, however, and whenever he comes to the grocery store with me this time of year he sneaks a carton of nog into the cart. I thought I’d do something nice for him this time and make it from scratch. I have come to love it as much as he does so I was excited to learn how it was made. After a lot of research I have come to understand that there are different styles of eggnog. There is the “fluffy” kind that is usually made of beaten egg whites that are brought to a fluffy meringue consistency as well as freshly whipped cream that are folded into beaten egg yolk along with milk and flavourings. This kind of eggnog is usually made with alcohol (though not always) and the eggs are of course raw. Then there is the thick rich type of eggnog. This kind is basically just a thin drinkable custard. Now, when I say thin, I mean thin for custard, as far as drinks go, it is very very thick. This kind of eggnog can be made with raw or cooked eggs and some recipes use only yolks while others use whole eggs. It can be made to be alcoholic too but is often served virgin. This is more like the kind sold in those cartons in grocery stores. It is the kind that my husband likes, so it is the kind I learned how to make.

This  eggnog can be prepared with raw or cooked eggs. I like to cook the eggs because I think the end result is thicker and more creamy. You can opt not to cook the eggs and it will still make a very nice eggnog, just be sure to take all the typical precautions when serving raw eggs (Don’t serve to elderly, young children,pregnant women, or people with compromised immune systems). Cooking the eggs will make it safe to serve to anyone. Also this is a non-alcoholic eggnog. You can replace some of the milk in the recipe with rum, bourbon, brandy or any alcohol of your choice, or you can just add a little bit to the finished eggnog before drinking. Try adding some Kahlua, Baily’s Irish cream, or Godiva liqueur to the finished product! Delicious!

This recipe will yield about 6 cups of eggnog. This should be enough to serve 4 to 6 people, depending on how much each person drinks of course.

-Ingredients-

6 Eggs

Use large eggs.

3 cups Milk

There is actually going to be four cups of dairy all together. To get the consistency and flavour that I like the best, I have settled on splitting the dairy into 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. You may choose to use all milk, all heavy cream, or even substitute alcohol for a quarter to half of the milk if you want to. For the purposes of this recipe I will just list the exact ingredients that I like to use. Still, I want you to be aware of your options.

1 cup Heavy Cream

Also known as whipping cream or double cream. This ingredient can be substituted with milk or alcohol.

1 cup Sugar

White sugar or dehydrated sugar cane will work. I am using ordinary white sugar today. Also, I like to measure this a little scantly. There may be about a tablespoon or two less than a cup here. This is just my personal preference because I like it slightly less sweet. Feel free to use a full cup or a bit less sugar.

½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

I strongly urge you to pay a little extra for the real stuff.

½ teaspoon Salt

I use sea salt, but table salt will work. This ingredient is optional, but recommended.

Nutmeg to taste

Fresh ground nutmeg is better than preground but either will work. I am using preground nutmeg this time.

-Method-

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt.

Crack 6 eggs into the mixing bowl and whisk all ingredients together.

Whisk very well until it forms a homogeneous mixture.

Pour 3 cups of milk into a large pot and turn the heat up to medium.

Pour the egg mixture into the milk.

Whisk the egg mixture and milk together very quickly.

Continuously whisk while it heats up. You want to get the mixture to about 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a food thermometer you can keep track of the heat that way, but if you do not have one simply heat the mixture until you start to see a little steam, then give it another 30 to 60 seconds to cook while whisking. You will notice that it thickens a bit and becomes smooth. This means it’s ready. I timed it and it took about 5 minutes to get it to 160 degrees. Don’t overcook it because the eggs will coagulate and you’ll be left with sugary scrambled eggs.

Take the pot off the heat as soon as the desired temperature is reached. Add 1 cup of cream (or alcohol can be added at this point if you choose).

Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Finally, mix once more. You may have noticed that we did not add nutmeg. According to my husband, eggnog is not supposed to have nutmeg directly mixed into the drink and it should only be sprinkled on top prior to drinking. So I do it the way he likes it. You can certainly add some nutmeg into it during this last mixing stage. I would recommend adding a very small amount, perhaps a half teaspoon to start with, and adjust to taste.

Put the eggnog into a bowl or pitcher and cover. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours but 6 to 8 hours is best. For quicker cooling, put the eggnog into smaller, separate containers. It will thicken even more as it cools.

When the eggnog is very cold and it is time to serve, stir or shake it very well and pour into serving glasses. Dust the top with nutmeg.

Now you can enjoy this fantastic drink all year! Hurray!

-Printable Version-