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!
Units
Ingredients
- 2 large pasteurized eggs* (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ground nutmeg
Instructions
- 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
Nutrition
Marc Matsumoto says
2 servings
tania Chahoud says
i am reading the warm egg nog recipe, excuse my ignorance but what is half and half?
Marc Matsumoto says
Half and half is a 50/50 mixture of milk and cream. If you live in the US,
you should be able to pick up a pint of half and half at any supermarket.
Frogster says
I’ve been trying to find a quick, simple recipe for warm egg nog. I’m afraid yours has too much verbiage. I have no idea what you mean by “bring 2 eggs up to room temperature”. I keep my eggs at room temp all the time! You do not say how many servings this recipe makes. I skipped all the bumph about Thanksgiving. I just want to know how to make a good warm egg nog! Sorry, thumbs down on this.
Frogster says
I’ve been trying to find a quick, simple recipe for warm egg nog. I’m afraid yours has too much verbiage. I have no idea what you mean by “bring 2 eggs up to room temperature”. I keep my eggs at room temp all the time! You do not say how many servings this recipe makes. I skipped all the bumph about Thanksgiving. I just want to know how to make a good warm egg nog! Sorry, thumbs down on this.
Marc Matsumoto says
Not sure where you’re based, but in the US eggs need to
be refrigerated because they’ve had the protective membranes stripped off of them by pressure washers before they’re sold.
james says
just what kind of membrane would you be refering to? are you saying that if i got un-washed eggs i wouldnt have to refrigerate them?
Marc Matsumoto says
I’m not a food safety expert so I’m not going to say what you should or shouldn’t do with your eggs, but in areas where the eggs aren’t washed, there’s a protective membrane called a cuticle that keeps bacteria from entering the egg, so many people leave their eggs unrefrigerated. In the US all eggs sold commercially must be washed, so unless you have chickens in your back yard you probably won’t find an unwashed egg.
l.holmes128 says
Thia sounds a lovley easy recipe. i am from the uk and have never tasted or made eggnogg. Is braandy the usual alchohol in eggnogg? A quicke question is cream the double pouring cream? Thank you ; xx
Marc Matsumoto says
You can really use just about any alcohol, but traditionally it’s made with Rum or Brandy. Personally I like using Scotch Whiskey or Bourbon. As for the cream, it’s the pourable kind of cream (not clotted). Hope that helps!
AndreaMichelle says
This recipe was great! Thank you! My boyfriend loved it! However, I added extra nutmeg into the egg nog mixture and sprinkled cinammon on top instead of the nutmeg.
Thank you for your recipe! 🙂
fugarte171 says
My mother-in-law (from Lima, Peru) called this Caspiroleta — a sure cure for the flu! Your method by using a blender makes it so much easier. I can’t wait to try it with the nutmeg. Thanks for a great recipe!
Marc Matsumoto says
Fascinating! I just looked it up on wikipedia and while my Spanish is a little rusty, it sounds very similar. It sounds like it’s a beverage only consumed in latin america, so I wonder if it developed independently or if it had its roots in Europe.
Jimi Oke says
To each his/her own, I guess. I, for one, am not a fan of recipes that are merely a list of ingredients followed by mechanical step-by-step instructions. Cooking is all about the spirit, not the letter. It’s always nice to read the author’s thoughts and side-stories along the way. And I think the context is inescapable. Regardless of where in the world (or the US) you are from, bringing eggs to room temperature is always part of standard recipe-speak. Eggs have been refrigerated since the 50s all over the world. Even if you buy them unwashed, it’s always recommended to wash and then refrigerate. So, please, stop being nitpicky and give the author some well-deserved credit for this fantastic post.
Vince says
How long can this stay warm if I make a larger batch of this warm egg nog and do you have any suggestions for keeping it warm?