Melanie's Magnificent Homemade Eggnog

By Melanie Campbell
@RossCampbell

***Please read my comment below***

Why You Should Try Homemade Eggnog:

Besides being a revelation in deliciousness, homemade eggnog is made with just five ingredients — four if you leave out the booze. Compare this to the laundry list of additives in most commercial brands of eggnog. Most of those additives are there to artificially thicken the eggnog and give it a longer shelf-life — but if you make your eggnog at home, you don't need to worry about any of this.

Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ 0 votes

Comments:

3 Comments

Serves:

Makes 6 cups, recipe can be easily scaled up or down

Prep:

30 Min

Method:

Refrigerate/Freeze

Ingredients

6 large: eggs
1 c: sugar
2 c: whole milk
1 c: heavy cream
1/2 to 1 1 c: bourbon, rum, cognac, or a mix, optional
: freshly grated nutmeg, to serve

How to Make Melanie's Magnificent Homemade Eggnog

Step-by-Step

1Separate the eggs: Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another (I recommend the 3-Bowl Method for this step). Cover the whites and refrigerate until needed (or freeze if aging the eggnog for longer than a day).
2Whisk the yolks with the sugar: Combine the yolks and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk by hand, or with a mixer, until the mixture is smooth and creamy, and it has lightened to a lemon-yellow color
3Whisk in the milk, cream, and liquor (if using): Pour the milk, cream, and liquor into the bowl with the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
4Cover and refrigerate: Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. The more liquor you add, the longer it will keep — non-alcoholic eggnog should be consumed within a day; eggnog with 1/2 to 1 cup of liquor will keep for several days; and eggnog with 1 1/2 cups of liquor will keep for several weeks and continue aging and thickening quite nicely. (If aging for longer than a few days, transfer the eggnog to a sealed glass container or a mason jar.)
5Whisk the egg whites: Just before serving, whisk the reserved egg whites in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer at high speed until the whites form stiff peaks.
6Fold the egg whites into the eggnog: Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the eggnog and gently fold or stir the whites into the base — this gives the eggnog a frothy, extra-creamy texture. Some of the egg whites will also float to the top, like cappuccino foam.
7Serve the eggnog: Transfer the eggnog to a pitcher or punch bowl. Serve in individual glasses with a grating of nutmeg over top.