Easiest Eggnog Recipes and Tips
What do you call Christmas in a cup? Eggnog! The word screams ‘holiday fun’ and injects festivity in the young and old like nothing else. For something as full of joie de vivre as a cup of eggnog is, one would expect to put in long laboring hours of love to prepare it. But surprise, surprise! You only need a few simple and readily available ingredients to whisk up this treat that the entire family can enjoy! Sure, you can buy ‘nogs right off the shelves of many grocery stores, but bottled eggnogs or those in tetra-packs does not have half the charm of the homemade ones. Once you have tasted a glass of fresh homemade eggnog, there is no going back – you are converted for life!
Learn these easy homemade eggnog recipes and create them for your family this Christmas . Whether they prefer the traditional flavor or customized eggnog, you will a few ideas up your sleeves to please one and all.
The Traditional Eggnog
You will need:
- 10 large eggs
- 4 cups milk
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups liquor (bourbon, dark rum, or brandy)
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- Ground nutmeg
Directions:
- Take the eggs and carefully separate the whites from the yolks and put them in a big bowl.
- Pour in half the quantity of the sugar in the eggs white and whisk till it turns white and frothy. You should see soft peaks forming.
- Take the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in another bowl and whisk till completely blended.
- Gently pour in the yolk and sugar mixture into the egg whites. Be careful with this step. Take your time. The fluffiness of the egg whites should be intact.
- Slowly pour in the liquor, milk, and cream and stir gently.
- Pour the eggnog in clear glasses.
- Take some more cream and whip it till it turns frothy and gently fold it over the eggnogs. Sprinkle grated nutmeg and serve.
Tip: If you are unsure about consuming raw eggs, heat the milk and cream before pouring it into the egg mix.
Spicy Eggnog
You will need:
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup liquor (dark rum, brandy, or bourbon)
Directions:
- Heat the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large pan with medium heat till the milk comes to a boil.
- In a bowl, separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add the sugar and whisk until it becomes fluffy.
- Pour the milk mixture into the yolks and whisk until all the ingredients are blended seamlessly.
- Transfer the milk and egg yolks mixture back into the saucepan and cook in medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes (or until the mixture thickens).
- Keep stirring and do NOT let it come to a boil.
- Let it cool for an hour.
- Mix in the liquor into the cooked eggnog and stir. Then, stir in the cream.
- Pour the eggnog in glasses and top it off with whipped cream. Garnish with grated nutmeg and serve.
Tip: Refrigerate the eggnogs overnight before serving. They will turn thick and creamier.
As the festive season has officially descended upon us, there is no reason not to indulge in thick, creamy eggnogs anymore. You can skip adding the liquor if you are serving them to the kids. It’s good to note that adding hard liquor kills the pathogens that might be present in the raw eggs, making them safer for consumption.
