Welcome to the column to go to when you’re a broke, tired college student in a dorm. For our final edition before winter break, I wanted to give you a recipe for a holiday drink that most have seen in the grocery store, but few have made at home: Eggnog. I highly recommend you try making this from home, whether you love eggnog and get it every year or dislike the store-bought stuff. I don’t like eggnog from the store, but I liked this.
The ingredients are as follows: 2 ⅓ cups whole milk, 3 cups heavy whipping cream, 8 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, 5 whole cloves, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks, ½ Teaspoon of nutmeg (optional) and 1 Cup E&J Spiced Brandy (also optional)
Combine milk, ⅔ teaspoon vanilla extract, powdered cinnamon and cloves and beat on your lowest beater setting for five minutes. Separately, whisk your egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is nice and fluffy.
Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the egg mixture. It is important to put the milk into the egg rather than the egg into the milk to maintain the correct texture. Pour the whole mix into a large saucepan. Stir constantly for three minutes or until the mixture is thick on medium heat. Under no circumstances are you to let the mix boil, unless you like curdled milk.
Strain the mixture into a sealable container (to get out the whole cloves/cinnamon sticks). Let cool for one hour. After letting the eggnog cool, add your heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. If you are adding brandy, now would also be the time to mix that in. Refrigerate your eggnog overnight. When serving, top with ground nutmeg if you desire it.
