Old-Fashioned Homemade Eggnog
Christmastime wouldn’t be complete without a nice cup of old-fashioned homemade eggnog, now would it? This eggnog recipe will leave you with the perfect holiday treat: light, velvety, smooth, and delicious! This holiday season, don’t ask yourself where you can buy eggnog. Skip the grocery store lines and make it yourself!
Growing up, I couldn’t stand eggnog. I loved milk products, but around Christmas my step-dad would come home from the grocery store just beaming. I knew it was because he had in those brown bags his favorite drink of all time, the infamous Barber’s Eggnog. It was thick, like a milkshake, or even worse, a melted milkshake. I couldn’t understand the obsession.
As an adult making pretty much everything from scratch, eggnog is now one of my all-time favorite drinks as well. If you are in my kitchen when I am preparing it, you will see me beam too. This version is light, airy, flavorful, and, well, just exceptional.
By incorporating air into the egg whites and whipped cream and folding them into the rich egg yolk mixture, you end up with a texture that is velvety and super light. It is not overladen with cloves – I don’t even add that to my recipe. I sprinkle nutmeg very lightly into the mixture and over the final product. It gives just the perfect amount of flavor.
Often, people shy away from homemade eggnog because of the raw eggs. If you use the freshest of eggs (or eggs from your own chickens), you most likely will never have a problem. Don’t let this concern stop you from making your own! You can temper the eggs and cook them just enough that food-borne illness will never be a problem.
Making Spiked Eggnog
For spiked eggnog, add 3 ounces of bourbon, cognac, rum, or all three! If you add liquor, your eggnog will be thicker. The more liquor you use, the longer it will keep in the refrigerator. If you don’t use liquor, consume the beverage within one day. Adding alcohol will allow this recipe to keep longer in the fridge while sterilizing your eggs (and therefore killing any harmful bacteria)!
Old-Fashioned Homemade Eggnog
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- 1/3 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg plus extra for serving
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until they are lemon-colored. Slowly add the 1/3 cup of sugar until dissolved. Turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the milk, vanilla, and nutmeg until thoroughly mixed. Remove mixture to a large bowl.
- Combine the cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a new bowl and whisk until the cream forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the bowl with the eggnog mixture.
- Clean the bowl, making sure to remove any moisture, and beat the egg whites in the clean bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the last tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Transfer the eggnog to a punch bowl. Serve in individual glasses or mugs with a pinch of nutmeg over the top. I use a microplane to grate fresh nutmeg.
