Eggnog Anyone?

Image via Thinkstock

The holiday season is upon us, and there is no better drink to coat your stomach and warm you up than a well done glass of eggnog. This festive drink dates back to the 14th Century, and has never lost it’s place in the holiday season. Sure you could easily take a drive to the supermarket and pick up a glass of that processed stuff in a plastic jug.

However, I don’t know if you like the sound of FDA regulations only requiring that 1.0 percent of a product’s final weight be made up of egg yolks for it to bear the eggnog name. My preference would be to make some home made, adult eggnog. As for how it’s done, there are plenty of recipes and versions of the classic holiday drink. Here are a few of our favorites…

Our first version comes from Food52’s Erik Lombardo. This is a single serving recipe that calls for use of a shaker, but Lombardo says an immersion blender will also work just fine. Obviously this can be multiplied to make a lager batch of eggnog. Here’s what you need:

• 2ounces rum, brandy, bourbon, or a combination
• 3/4ounces cream
• 3/4ounces Sugar Syrup (1:1 sugar:water by volume)
• 1egg yolk

Pretty simple and straight forward, just the way it should be. Personally I prefer bourbon or a spiced rum in my nog, but that’s up to your discretion. the instructions are just as simple.

1) Combine everything in a shaker and dry shake it all vigorously together for ten seconds.

2) Add ice to shaker and shake again, then strain, and grate nutmeg and cinnamon over the top.

Our next recipe comes from Saveur, and while it is more complex in terms of ingredients, the addition of fresh vanilla beans and a good amount of liquor likely adds a complex flavor as well. The author goes as far as to call it the “quintessential holiday drink”. This recipe is for six servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk 
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• Pinch salt 
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 
• 4 eggs, separated 
• 1 cup bourbon 
• 2 oz. dark rum 
• 1 cup cold heavy cream 
• Freshly grated nutmeg 

Preparation

1. Put milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. 

2. Whisk egg yolks in a mixing bowl until pale yellow. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into yolks. Gradually add egg–milk mixture back into milk mixture in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and set aside to let cool. Add bourbon and rum, cover, and refrigerate eggnog until cold. 

3. Whisk egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy, then gradually add remaining sugar, whisking constantly until stiff but not dry peaks form. In another bowl, whisk cream until stiff but not dry peaks form. Fold whites and cream into eggnog. Pour into cups and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Our final recipe of the day comes from Savuer as well, from author Kathleen Squires.  It actually isn’t your traditional eggnog, but a Puerto Rican version call Coquito and serves five.

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups Puerto Rican rum
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• Ground cinnamon and sticks, to garnish

The Instructions are as simple as it gets.

Simply blend the first four ingredients,Then garnish with a sprinkle of the ground  cinnamon and a festive cinnamon stick. 

Stay tuned to FoodSided on Twitter and Facebook as we will be featuring holiday recipes over the rest of December. Please enjoy your eggnog responsibly!