Homemade Eggnog

It’s that magical time of year when grocery stores start to stock what they ought to be carrying year-round: eggnog. Well, this year, why not stick it to the grocery stores and make your own damn nog? Exactly!

Here’s an easy-to-make recipe for homemade eggnog. Do it right, and not only will it taste better than the store-bought junk, but you’ll be able to make it whenever the hell you want.

So, here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

1/3 cup of sugar, with 1 tablespoon in reserve

4 pasteurized grade-A eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 ounces of spiced rum

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl and 1 medium mixing bowl

measuring cups and spoons

beater (preferably electric)

stirring spoon

whisk

A note before we begin: there is always some risk when consuming raw eggs. However, using pasteurized eggs significantly reduces your chances of illness, and introducing alcohol into the mixture will make it safer still. Ultimately, your chances of getting sick are slim to none, but if you’re worried about that, recipes that involve cooking the eggs are just one Google search away.

Preperation

No, let’s begin.

Step 1

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the yolks into the bigger bowl and the white into the smaller bowl. Put the whites aside and beat the yolks until they lighten in color. You want them to be about the color of pineapple juice. Once the color is light enough, add your third cup of sugar and beat it until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2

Add the milk, cream, nutmeg, and rum. Stir until all the ingredients are well-combined. One note: You can use other liquors. Regular rum (preferably dark or gold), bourbon, or brandy are all good choices. Spiced rum is just what I think works best.

Step 3

Now go back to your egg whites. Take your beater, and beat them to soft peaks (this is where an electric beater becomes a lifesaver). Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and beat the whites to stiff peaks.

Step 4

Whisk the two mixtures together. You’ll have to mix it well, because the liquid and the foam like to separate. Chill your eggnog before serving.

With all that done you can enjoy your eggnog without going out in the cold to get some sub-par store-bought version.

Do note that the foam likes to separate from the rest of the mixture. You can stir it all back together, but the foam also makes a wonderful dip for sugar cookies. Enjoy your nog however you want — you deserve it.

Pictures for this post from Kacey M. Photography.