Right now, I’m trying out a new eggnog recipe, which I will post later if successful. It’s based on Alton Brown’s aged eggnog recipe, which uses a dozen raw egg yolks. He mixes the yolks with sugar, and then adds a LOT of alcohol to it, in the hopes of killing any salmonella bacteria that might be lurking about. The egg yolk/sugar/booze mix sits in sealed Mason jars in the fridge for at least 3 weeks, giving the alcohol time to do its job. Only then is the dairy added. Seems to make sense, but I’ll let you know when it’s done. But this recipe does take time. So if you want to whip up a pretty darn tasty eggnog in a hurry, my recipe below, one that I get asked about every year, is the way to go…
Let’s face it: there’s no such thing as healthy eggnog. This recipe is absolutely delicious but is also a heart attack in a glass. I updated this recipe a couple of years ago so that you don’t need to worry about salmonella (because you’re not using raw eggs)…though the alcohol will certainly still get you! (So I guess calling it “safe” is a matter of opinion!)
The solution is to buy pasteurized eggs.
Some supermarkets now carry whole eggs in the shell that have been pasteurized, though they are hard to find. But the Whole Foods near me does carry pasteurized real whole liquid eggs under the Vital Farms name, and they work perfectly with this recipe. The original recipe called for 15 (!) raw eggs. A 16-oz. container of Vital Farms liquid eggs is the same as about 9 eggs. So I need one full 16 oz. container, and then another 10 oz. or so for this recipe.
Now the only thing I need to worry about are too many calories and too much alcohol!
1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream (I use Breyer’s)
1 pint half & half
Just over 26 oz. Vital Farms liquid whole eggs (the equivalent of 15 whole raw eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
6 oz. of each:
spiced rum (I use Captain Morgan)
whiskey (I use Crown Royal)
brandy (I use E&J)
I let the ice cream soften one day in the fridge. I carefully mix the ice cream, half-and-half, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a blender.
My blender is pretty big, but I find that it’s full at this point. So I pour everything into a gallon-size glass jar.
To the jar, I add the maple syrup and all the liquor. Then I whisk everything together, making sure I get down to the bottom of the jar.
After it’s fully mixed, I place the lid on the jar, and move the eggnog to the fridge, where I let it sit for at least 12-24 hours for the flavors to blend. Even longer is better.
One final mix and taste to determine whether I want more cinnamon, nutmeg or maple syrup, and it’s good to go!
It goes well with coffee…just maybe not for breakfast!
And by the way, it’s pretty darn tasty with coffee! Just imagine a variation on a White Russian, with eggnog and freshly brewed coffee, and a bit of a drizzle of maple syrup on top!
Cheers!
Live the Live ™ 