Egg Nog

Between the fourth thursday in November and December 25th, it is a magical time. For between those dates, it is permitted, nay encouraged to drink what is possibly the greatest created by man, demi-gods, or aliens: Egg Nog. And yet, there are cartons on the shelves of grocery stores filled with thickened liquids that purport to be egg nog which are, in truth, pale imitations of the glorious, quaffable custard that makes life during the holiday season worth living.

And, as is my custom, it is incredibly easy to make. Too easy, really, which is why I limit my total drinking season to around a month out of the year. Because with 8 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and two pre-measured cartons of dairy product, plus about 5 minutes of your valuable time, you can make a drink that is as nourishing to your soul as anything in a clear container possibly could be. Also, if you are of the age, you can add bourbon to it.

So: 1/2 gallon whole milk, 1 pint heavy cream, 8 pasteurized eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and some nutmeg. Ingredients that, frankly, are frighteningly easy to memorize.

The hardest part of the procedure is separating the yolks from the whites. In eight eggs, it's not so bad, but if you're making a triple batch, which has the advantage of using up exactly two cartons of eggs, it does take a while. Save the whites if that's your thing, there are a million and one uses for them. For long term storage, put them into an ice cube tray, freeze them into cubes, then put the cubes in a zip-top bag.

Add a cup of sugar

And, without waiting for too long, start to beat the sugar into the egg yolks with an electric mixer or, if you are feeling particularly hard core, with a whisk

Until it turns from that into something a lot more like

When you lift the beaters or whisk out of the sugar/yolk mixture, it should fall down like a ribbon, as pictured vaguely above.

Add your cream

Add your milk

Add some freshly grated nutmeg

Mix to combine thoroughly

You can serve with or without bourbon

It should be noted that the above represents too much bourbon for proper drinking, but it does allow one the chance to take a hefty swig and then add some more nog into the glass to balance things out. Not efficient, but very effective.

Egg Nog

• Ingredients/Equipment
  • 8 egg yolk, pasteurized
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ gallon whole milk
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 5 oz. bourbon, (Or to taste - I'll generally add a bit more) (Well, I say a *bit*...)
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1 Large Mixing bowl
  • 1 Mixer, Hand or Stand, but not handstand. That would be messy.
  • 2-3 Small bowls, For separating the egg yolks and whites.

1.In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved.

2.Add the milk, cream, bourbon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Chill and serve. Or, as I generally do, just drink it right then and there.

Notes

This recipe contains raw eggs. They are pasteurized eggs, so should be perfectly safe, but if you have an allergy, or if you have a somehow weakened immune system, it would be wise to go with another recipe that cooks the nog to kill the critters inside. Also, you'll end up with a bunch of egg yolks at the end of this, because I don't like to add whipped egg whites to my nog. You can either make a heart-healthy omelet, or you could pour the egg whites into an ice tray (an *empty* ice tray) and freeze them for later use.

Comments

[Carrie Oliver]

You do such a great job in demonstrating how easy it is to make real food vs. buying a pre-processed version of the same.

How do you know if your eggs have been pasteurized?

As for the recipe, I'd also add a bit of dark rum! Myers (sp?) is a nice choice. As is vanilla ice cream. The latter is not traditional but it is tasty. It's already a calorie bomb so throw a bit of caution to the wind.

[Brian]

Thanks, Carrie. The packaging on the eggs will say if it's pasteurized or not. I will admit, finding pasteurized is a bit of a pain; there is one one grocery store that I know of in the area that carries them, but they do, so I am fortunate.

Of the distilled spirits to put into egg nog, dark rum, sometimes even spiced rum, comes in second behind bourbon, and both are vastly superior to brandy. But bourbon is definitely the best. ;)

Vanilla ice cream pairs well with egg nog because, effectively, egg nog is an ice cream base that just needs freezing. There is a lot of leeway with this recipe, so if you want it richer, you could add more yolks, or if you want it sweeter, more sugar, etc., which will probably get you most of the way to your ice cream flavor.

I use this combination of ingredients mainly because it really is easy to remember, so if I have to shop for an emergency batch of nog during the holiday season, I don't have to consult any lists. And yes, that does usually happen at least once a year.

[meg]

An idea for those whites: meringue cookies--so easy, and you can add any flavor--espresso powder, cocoa powder, citrus zest...

[Brian]

Such as, for example, Mocha Meringues? :)

[Liz Finkelstein]

mmmmmmmmm egg nog. mmmmmmmmmmm

[Liz Finkelstein]

oh and, if you've never worked with this many eggs before, here is a tip. If you separate the egg white into a small bowl and move it to a larger bowl with the rest of the whites after the separation is completed, you don't run the risk of ruining all the egg white if you should happen to break a yolk.