It is Christmas morning and I started my day out by busting open a carton of Egg Nog that has been hiding in the fridge at my parents house. Why the hell did I do that? Seriously. This stuff is straight up lethal. It is like drinking a cup of melted butter but only thicker and sweeter. Egg nog always seems like a good idea to me but it always fails on execution. It is just one of those holiday traditions. I guess it might be a little bit better had I spiked it with some brandy – as we used to always to do Grandma Ginger when she visiting – but at 6 am it seemed a little excessive.
I dared to take a peak at the ingredients in egg nog. It is pretty scary stuff. Here is a recipe for you to make your own heart stopper.
EGG NOG
MAKES 36 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
* 12 medium or large eggs
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 1 quart milk or half-and-half
* 1 quart liquor (see notes below)
* 1 quart whipping cream
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (more or less to taste)
Separate egg yolks from whites. In large bowl, mix yolks with sugar until pale and thick ribbons form when dropped from beaters. Add milk, liquor and nutmeg and combine well. Chill overnight.
Place beaters and large mixing bowl in refrigerator or freezer. When chilled, add whipping cream and whip until soft peaks form. Set aside. Using a clean bowl and beater, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add whipped cream and egg whites to egg mixture and fold until well incorporated. Sprinkle individual servings with additional nutmeg.
Notes: Egg nog can be stored in pitchers or bowl and refrigerated until use. Since the cream will rise to the top, be sure to stir gently but thoroughly to recombine before serving. The amount of liquor used can be adjusted to taste. Rum, cognac, brandy or bourbon can be used. I use a combination of about 2-1/2 cups dark rum, 1 cup brandy and 1/2 cup bourbon.
