...can you believe it?
Eggnog has been a associated with the Christmas Holidays for ages... It was known as 'posset' in 14th Century Merry Ole England (later on Shakespeare made Lady Macbeth use it nefariously to drug the guards outside King Duncan's bedchamber) and was originally made by curdling milk with hot ale, Madeira wine or Sherry. Eventually the raw eggs were added to give the drink a creamier texture and feel.
Our own President George Washington loved eggnog and had a favorite, quite boozy recipe...here it is, in his own words: One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, ½ pint rye whiskey, ½ pint Jamaica rum, ¼ pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently!!!
6 large eggs - pasteurized or tempered (* see below) - separated
1 cup sugar plus small amount for whisking egg whites - separated
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
Dash of vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 1/2 cup bourbon, rum, or cognac
Freshly grated nutmeg, to serve
Separate the eggs. Place yolks in a medium glass or ceramic bowl and the whites in a large (cold) stainless or copper bowl. Cover the whites and refrigerate until needed.
Whisk the yolks with the sugar, adding the sugar a bit at a time to incorporate well, until smooth and creamy yellow.
Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, and liquor until well combined. Some recipes don't call for vanilla extract, but I like to add it.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The more liquor you add, the longer it will keep (**)
Just before serving, whisk the reserved egg whites, making sure the whisk, bowl and egg whites are cold. If using a stand mixer, use high speed until the whites form stiff peaks.
Carefully fold the beaten egg whites and gently fold it into the eggnog mixture. No need to incorporate well, better if some of the fluffy foam floats on top.
Pour the mixture into a cold pitcher or punch bowl. Serve in punch cups or glasses. Grate some fresh nutmeg on top (commercially ground nutmeg will not taste as good as freshly grated). Some people like to serve it with a cinnamon stick as a stirrer...I don't care to do that, but at times have served it with a candy cane.
Remember, this recipe contains raw eggs. It is recommended to use very fresh, organic eggs from a known source if possible, if not, then use pasteurized eggs or temper them.
(*) Tempering eggs: Heat the milk. Beat egg yolks. Add the heated milk to the beaten egg yolks little by little, beating steadily, so the yolks won't curdle. After all of the milk has been added, then pour the egg-milk mixture back in the milk pan and cook, at medium low for about 3-4 minutes. Cool it before adding all the other ingredients.
(**) Non-alcoholic eggnog should be consumed within 1 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.)
Cooked eggnog: If you'd prefer to cook your eggnog, warm the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble around the edges. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks together in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the eggs, then return the mixture to medium heat and continue to cook, stirring gently, until thickened to your eggnog-y liking. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 days before serving. For extra thickness, whip up 1 cup of heavy cream and fold into the eggnog before serving.
Even richer eggnog: Feel free to play with the proportions of whole milk to cream, keeping 3 cups total dairy. Heavy cream will make your eggnog thicker and creamier. Boozy eggnog will also continue to thicken in the fridge as it ages.
...and by the way, December 24th, Christmas Eve is National Eggnog Day...So do your part, and, as George Washington advised, taste frequently!
