Eggnog

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I have never been a big fan of eggnog. I always saw it as an overly thick not very tasty drink. This year for some reason we decided to buy a container of it. Chris diluted the mixture with milk and I enjoyed the thinner version.

I decided to attempt homemade eggnog for Christmas. When I look for recipes, I tend to start with Alton Brown. There is just something about the way he uses science to create great tasting food that seems to work, even for a novice like me. I found two of his eggnog recipes. The first one required letting the nog age for several months so I opted for the second recipe. We enjoyed a fabulous treat, our guests asking for more.

Egg Nog

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

1 pint whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

3 ounces bourbon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 egg whites

I started by separating the eggs. A handy tip I figured out when separating the eggs is to use a small bowl to separate the egg before adding it to the main bowl of egg whites. That way if you have a snafu you won’t contaminate the entire batch of egg whites.

Using a stand mixer, I beat the egg yolks until the color lightened. I slowly added the 1/3 cup of sugar and beat the mixture until the sugar was completely dissolved. I then added the milk, cream and nutmeg, stirring until they combined. I put some of the mixture to the side for a non-alcoholic version and then added the bourbon to the main batch, once again stirring.

In a clean bowl, I used the stand mixer to beat the egg whites until they made soft peaks. I had a trace of yolk in my egg whites (thus the tip) so it took a little while, but I eventually got them there. With the mixer still running, I slowly added the tablespoon of sugar and continued to beat the egg whites until I had stiff peaks.

Finally, I whisked the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. I chilled the concoction well. I grated a little nutmeg on top just before serving.