Eggnog, surprisingly, seems to be a controversial holiday drink...either you love it or you hate it. Then, if you love it, store-bought or homemade? In my humble opinion, they are in two totally different categories, nothing compares to homemade! Are the eggs cooked or are the eggs raw? Whiskey, bourbon or rum? Cream, milk or almond milk? Everyone seems to have an opinion, so I decided to weigh in with a few opinions of my own.
While recipe testing for this post, I was serving the eggnog to a wide range of people, so I decided to create an "eggs cooked" version of eggnog. I made the batches ahead of time and put them in the fridge so the flavours could marry. I think this actually led to a more mellow and balanced eggnog. In the future I would make the eggnog the day ahead and then add-in the alcohol before serving.
We sampled the cooked eggnog with whiskey, bourbon and dark rum, and the overall "winner" was the dark rum! It was a nice complement to the flavours to the holiday spices, while not taking over. The whiskey tended to overpower the drink, losing the holiday spice flavours. The bourbon was nice, but added extra sweetness to an already sweet drink. Really though, it's up you which add-in you prefer. If you love bourbon, use bourbon, if you love Irish whiskey, use Irish whiskey.
One of my favourite places to visit for mulled wine and eggnog is Pourhouse, a local Vancouver watering hole. It has one fantastic eggnog (see picture below), the best in the city, I'd say! For their version, they freshly shake it upon order, using raw eggs and whiskey. This year, I finally discovered their secret ingredients...the addition of orgeat (almond syrup) and a splash of sherry. Both the orgeat and the sherry add a depth to the eggnog, a nuttiness that warms the drink. Next year, we'll have to do a repeat taste test with these additions!
For eggnog lovers, those worried about raw eggs and Santa, who has a long night ahead of him, I think this recipe is perfect. It's make-ahead and a crowd pleaser. Whether you like it of not, eggnog is a quintessential holiday drink. It brings a smile to most faces at any holiday gathering and people will be very impressed that you made it from scratch!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.
Enjoy,
Krista
Homemade Cooked Eggnog
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
5 egg yolks (reserve the whites for another recipe or cocktails)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2.5 cups whole milk
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground fresh
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
grated nutmeg, garnish
cinnamon stick, garnish
1/2 oz - 1 oz dark rum (or your spirit of choice)
1/4-1/2 oz sherry (optional)
Method
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until slightly frothed and creamy.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the cream, whole milk, salt and nutmeg. Whisk together until smooth and mixture begins to slightly simmer.
Add one small ladle full of the warmed milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to temper the eggs. You do not want scrambled eggs, so the continuous whisking is important. Repeat, adding a second ladle-full of the warmed milk mixture into the eggs to increase their temperature. Keep whisking for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Slowly add egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining warmed milk. Increase temperature to medium and whisk until liquid starts to thicken, this will take a bit of time. You want the mixture to reach a temperature of 160 degrees on a thermometer. Like custards, cooked eggnog must reach 160 degrees to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Remove sauce pan from heat. Whisk in vanilla, and add cinnamon sticks. Allow eggnog to steep with cinnamon sticks while it cools. After cooled to room temperature, remove cinnamon sticks and pour eggnog into a pitcher. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When serving, add 1/2 - 1oz of dark rum (about 1/2 oz per 1 cup of eggnog) and a small splash of sherry (1/4 oz per 1 cup of eggnog) to each glass. Top with chilled eggnog and mix well. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.
*I vary the amount of rum depending on the size of my glass. If using a small punch glass, I might even reduce the rum to 1/4 oz. You don't want the alcohol to dominate the flavours of the eggnog, just to accentuate it.
*These beautiful glasses were gifted to me by the sweet Judy Funk. Aren't they the perfect glass for a special holiday cocktail, with the etching on the bottom? Love them, thank you Judy!
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