I always know it’s
eggnog season when Brian volunteers to go grocery shopping for me
(which he never does during normal times of the year). It’s the
only way store bought eggnog makes it into our house. I loathe the
stuff. But I swear Brian’s veins run with eggnog from about
November 1 to January 15. And of course, the boys, seeing their big,
strong daddy chugging eggnog, have jumped right on board.
Apparently because
eggnog-buying season overlaps with wrestling season, they have
somehow made the association that drinking eggnog ensures faster take
downs, better whizzers, swifter double legs and tighter
gut-wrenchers.
I seriously have no
idea what I just said.
Anyway, I decided to
try my hand at homemade eggnog, wondering if I would like it better
than store bought. A few disclaimers: I knew right off I
wasn’t going to make it with raw eggs. I wanted a version that
I could serve to my little kids and also to my favorite 80-year old
Yugoslavian friend without any of them having to sign a waiver about
the risk of salmonella.
I also knew I was going
to make a non-alcoholic version since quite simply, I don’t
drink alcohol and neither do my kids. I wanted this to be a family
event.
The Making and Drinking
of The Eggnog.
So if either of those
things have you crying “unauthentic” then we probably
need to part ways for this post. After several tries and variations,
in the end, I loved this. Really loved it. It is thick and creamy
with a rich flavor from the egg yolks and a delicious fragrant taste
of nutmeg.
Because nutmeg is the
only spice used here, I implore you to grate your own. The difference
between already ground nutmeg and freshly ground is pretty amazing. I
use my rasp grater (the same thing I zest my lemons and limes with);
small spice jars of whole nutmeg are fairly easy to find in a
well-stocked grocery store.
You are probably
wondering what the boys’ verdict is on this homemade version.
Of course the kids gulped it down — I mean, it’s sweet
and creamy, what’s not to love?
Brian, the eggnog
connoisseur, liked it but said it was missing the classic taste he’s
grown accustomed/addicted to (uh, honey, that’s the artificial
pencil shavings and paint extract they added to your store bought
stuff to make it last longer).
Either way, this is
much more my style. It tastes clean and fresh and so very, very
creamy, plus the nutmeg flavor really shines and it makes me nerdily
happy to have a homemade version that all of us can enjoy together.
I think when Brian’s
not looking, I’m going to pour this into his empty eggnog
carton and see if he really can tell a difference. The dead giveaway
will probably be when he catches me guzzling it from the carton since
that’s never happened in the history of ever (chocolate milk?
yes. eggnog? no way).
So now I’m
curious: are you an eggnog lover or hater?
Homemade Eggnog Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups of eggnog
I use 1% milk when
making this — you could probably get away with anything from
skim to whole milk. I happen to really love nutmeg — if you
think the full 1 1/2 teaspoons might be a bit overwhelming, knock it
down to 1 teaspoon to start and add more after tasting, if needed.
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (see above)
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together
the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
In a saucepan, bring the cream,
milk, nutmeg and salt to a bare simmer, stirring often. Slowly ladle
in 1/2 cup or so of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking
vigorously to avoid little bits of cooked egg. This will temper the
eggs so they don't scramble when cooked on the stovetop. Ladle in
another 1/2 cup, whisking vigorously the entire time. Do this until
all the hot milk has been added to the eggs and the mixture is well
combined.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back
into the saucepan of milk on the stove, whisking quickly, and cook
the mixture, stirring constantly, until it reaches 160 degrees F on
a thermometer.
Remove from the heat and stir in
the vanilla and rum extract (if using).
Pour the eggnog into a bowl and
cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.