Best EggNog Recipe
I want to share a recipe for my favourite holiday beverage. Every Christmas since I was a tot we would break out the eggnog and drink it by the gallon. But it always came from the supermarket and as I got older I became more sensitive to how synthetic it tasted.
I decided to embark on a quest to find the perfect eggnog recipe so I could rid myself of pre-packaged stuff for good. The testing was laborious… should it be made with light rum? Dark rum? Bourbon? Brandy? Eventually I emerged from the haze of my testing with a winner. Here it is:
- Use an electric mixer or whisk to beat 6 eggs with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar until frothy (bubbly) and pale yellow. I know that there is a risk of salmonella when consuming raw eggs. In my opinion the deliciousness of this eggnog outweighs the risk of salmonella, but everyone has their own threshold for danger.
- Add about 4 cups of half and half cream (10%). If that much cream scares you then feel free to use a combination of cream and whole milk or 2% milk or whatever you have in the fridge.
- Add 1 cup of brandy and 2 cups of either dark rum or bourbon (my preference is dark rum only because I’m not a big fan of bourbon) and a few drops of vanilla extract.
- Stir it all together and chill for a couple of hours.
- Serve over ice and with a garnish of nutmeg (freshly grated nutmeg is ideal).
I’m sure someone will question the ratio of booze to cream but I assure you that it’s not a typo. This eggnog is meant to be enjoyed by the fire as you chat with family and friends or decorate the tree. It is meant to give you a built-in excuse not to be productive but rather to take some time during the holidays to put up your feet and savour the season.
