Of all the eggnogs you will encounter, this is likely the richest eggnog recipe you will encounter:
Classic Holiday Eggnog recipe
12 pasteurized shell eggs
3/4 lb. confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vanilla
4 cups heavy cream
Serves: 10 – 12
Separate eggs into 2 large bowls. Cover the whites and put in refrigerator. Beat yolks until light in color and slowly mix in confectioner’s sugar, salt, vanilla (liquor if desired) and heavy cream. It is best if you let this mixture ripen while covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, but it is best to wait until you are almost ready to serve to mix the whites back into rest of it. When it is time, use a mixer and beat the hell out of the whites. You can do this until they are fluffy or go all the way to stiff. Gently stir them into the yolk mixture. Serve sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg. Use small cups as this is incredibly rich
Making it boozy (maybe bougie, too)
- Many different liquors are used in eggnog so it is almost a personal choice. A word of advice though: while unbelievably creamy, the flavors are light and delicate.
- Don’t over do it on the liquor whatever you choose; no more than 1 and 1/2 oz, per person.
- If you are batching, you can add liquor to yolk mixture and combine before the egg whites.
- A few hours in the fridge really helps the liquor incorporate. Warning: it may hardly taste alcoholic so check what the kids are drinking.
- Among my favorites: dark or spiced rum, brandy, cognac or a sweet mellow bourbon. A comparison of different liquor choices here.
- Nuts and berries eggnog. To above recipe add 1/4 cup Chambord liqueur and 1/8 cup Frangelico.
- Cognac and dark rum mixed – called a Baltimore eggnog.
- My favorite: Eggnog martini, start with virgin eggnog. Chill 5oz glass by filling it with ice and cinnamon schnapps. Mix 3 ½ ounces of nog with a shot and a half of Stoli Vanil in a shaker, give it a few agitations and strain into the empty, now cold and cinnamon-y, martini glass.
- Rompope – the Latin American eggnog.
- If you have someone with egg allergies but who still wants to participate, there is always the Coquito which essentially substitutes cream of coconut for the eggs.
Garnishing – on beyond nutmeg
Making it look cool.
Chocolate Curls
Maraschino Cherries
Cinnamon sticks
Orange Slices
Extracts or flavorings
Peppermint sticks or candy canes
Flavored brandy or liqueur
Plain brandy, rum or whiskey
Fruit juice or nectar
Sherbet or ice cream
Ground Nutmeg
Whipping cream
Handling Eggs
A note about eggs. I am a true believer in using pasteurized shell eggs.
- You get better results than liquid. Liquid eggs have citric acid and preservatives that alter flavor.
- Regular eggs can have salmonella and while the percentages are small, mixing eggs together greatly multiplies odds due to cross contamination
- Pasteurized shell eggs are easier to prepare nog – and everything else – just because the amount and urgency of clean-as-you-go is so much less.
You used to be able to get pasteurized shell eggs in the Davidson’s label but they were discontinued during the Avian Influenza outbreak. A good egg brand is in Southern California and will be coming to your stores soon.
Historical Artifact
The European Posset. It sounds delicious (and starts with beer!) but it would take a lot of effort to accumulate all the ingredients.
Last thing on Eggnogs
If you end up with too much eggnog that you don’t know what to do with (i.e. the morning after), dredge bread thru it and make French toast. Crazy delicious!