Eggnog is one of those traditional holiday foods that went from seasonal treat to culinary pariah over the past century. Along with jewel speckled fruitcakes and mincemeat pie, it’s become an anachronism from a bygone era when we didn’t think twice about eating eggs raw, and cholesterol was nothing more than a scientific curiosity.
I don’t know if health concerns had anything to do with eggnog’s waning popularity, but the artificially flavored travesties sold in stores these days would turn even the most ardent ‘nog-lover off of the creamy, eggy concoction. Recently I’ve seen aged eggnog making a comeback in the craft cocktail scene, but who has time (or the refrigerator space) to prep this holiday tipple in summer for consumption during the holidays?
That’s why I came up with this quick hack that produces a delightfully full-bodied eggnog, that’s satisfyingly rich without being thick or cloying. The trick is to whip some eggs in a blender and then heat all the other ingredients until piping hot, before blending it all into a soul-warming elixir with a frothy head that’s sure to get you into the holiday spirit.
Consumed warm, it will take the chill of the most frigid of winter days, but this eggnog is satiny smooth and delicious chilled as well, so there’s no need to feel like need to drink it all in one sitting (though it may be tempting.
I like using a 2:1 ratio of milk to cream for this to keep it from becoming overly rich, but you can certainly increase the amount of cream if you’re in the mood for something even more decadent. As for the booze, I used Armagnac, a kind of brandy but I’ve made it before with everything from rum, to bourbon to shochu and it’s all good. If you want to reduce the alcohol content, but still get the flavor of the brandy, you can boil it down for a bit before adding the milk, cream, and sugar.
I hope you enjoy this eggnog and have a wonderful holiday season!
Ingredients
- 2 large pasteurized eggs* (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon
- 1/3 cup brandy
- ground nutmeg
Steps
- Add the eggs to a blender and blend until a light creamy color.
- In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, milk, cream, vanilla and brandy (optional) until it's steaming hot, but not boiling.
- With the blender running on medium speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture through the lid.
- Serve hot in small glasses with some nutmeg grated on top.
Notes:
