Egg Nog

So our holiday celebration went well on Saturday, and I'm especially proud that I was able to pursuade many skeptical guests to try our Egg Nog. I admit, once upon a time, I too was grossed out by the prospect of egg nog -- but after sampling some Ronnybrook Farms Egg Nog, my hope was restored. This year, we decided to make our own from the Cooks Illustrated recipe. The good news is, you can reassure concerned guests that there are no raw eggs in this Egg Nog, which I think was a big turn-off for many people. We of course chose the high-test version, so you can reduce the amount of liquor (& cream) if that appeals to you more.

Egg Nog
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
6 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 C plus 2 T granulated sugar
1/4 t table salt
4 C whole milk
3/4 C alcohol (we used half bourbon and half dark rum)
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg
3/4 C heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

The first step is to make a custard. Begin by whisking the eggs, yolks, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Add milk slowly, blending well each time.

Turn on burner and heat slowly, stirring constantly, especially once the custard begins to warm. After about 25-30 minutes, the custard should reach about 160 degrees and should coat the back of a spoon. Remove custard from heat.

Use a sieve to strain the custard -- this will ensure a smooth texture. Add liquor, grated nutmeg and vanilla to strained custard. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Fold lightly whipped cream into custard just before serving.

This recipe can be easily doubled, though the cooking portion will take longer, depending on the size of your pan. The custard stores well in the fridge for 3-5 days, so you can prepare it ahead and add the whipped cream at the last minute. I think we're going to make ice cream out of our leftover egg nog. Yum!

(In case you're noticing a theme, Cooks Illustrated is my current favorite food-related publication and nearly without fail, the recipes are stellar. Which reminds me, I'll need to post the lentil soup recipe I adapted for the crockpot from there -- it was delicious, and I don't even like lentils.