With the right hit of booze and sweetness, a glass of chilled eggnog is a cherished holiday drink. This homemade eggnog has a luxurious consistency that pairs perfectly with brandy, bourbon, or dark rum, but you could also leave out the alcohol and serve it to the whole family. You can try experimenting with other alcohol, but you can’t go wrong with the classics. Start by adding half a cup and add more to taste.
Although many eggnog recipes use uncooked eggs, this version cooks them gently to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. The key is to cook the mixture slowly and stir to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole milk
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups brandy, bourbon, or dark rum, to taste
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup cold heavy cream
Steps to make it:
- Gather the ingredients. Into a 4-quart saucepan, add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Whisk well until combined.
- Pour the milk in a slow and steady stream until completely incorporated. Vigorously whisk the mixture.
- Place the saucepan on the stove on the lowest possible heat setting. Stir the mixture continuously until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 F and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient. This should take about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any small bits of cooked egg.
- Add the brandy, bourbon, or dark rum plus the vanilla extract and nutmeg. Start with the 1/2 cup of liquor, taste, and add more if you’d like. Stir Remember that adding more liquor also means the eggnog will be thinner in texture and also stronger in taste.
- Pour the eggnog into a glass pitcher and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the egg custard mixture until well chilled, for at least 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, pour the cold heavy cream into a bowl and whip until it forms soft peaks.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cold custard mixture until combined. Mix carefully so as not to deflate the cream.
- Serve in chilled cups or glasses and garnish with an additional sprinkle of nutmeg.
Extra tip:
If you would like to spike up your eggnog, add more liquor, but you will need to make a minor adjustment to maintain the right consistency: If you increase the liquor amount to 1 cup, it’s recommended that you increase the heavy cream amount to 3/4 cup.
Vegan eggnog:
Ingredients:
24 ounces silken tofu, crumbled
2 cups soy milk
2/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1 cup rum, or brandy
4 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
20 ice cubes
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Steps to make it:
- Gather the ingredients. Place the crumbled tofu and soy milk in a blender with the sugar and salt. Blend until very smooth.
- Scrape the mix into a large bowl or pitcher, and whisk in the water, rum or brandy, and vanilla extract.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until serving time.
- To serve, blend half of the mixture in the blender with 10 of the ice cubes until frothy. Repeat with the other half.
- Serve in glasses with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Serve and enjoy.
extra info:
Turbinado is a type of raw sugar that adds to the eggnog’s character as well. You can find it with other sugars at most grocers. It might also be labeled as demerara or simply “raw.”
sources (two recipes; video): the spruce Eats; How to Make the Absolute Best Eggnog, America’s Test Kitchen, YouTube
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Vocabulary
booze | alkoholos ital, pia |
cherished | dédelgetett |
consistency | állag |
to experiment | kísérletezni |
to stir | kevergetni |
to avoid scrambling | elkerülni, hogy tojásrántottává váljon |
yolk | tojássárgája |
grated nutmeg | reszelt szerecsendió |
garnish | díszítés |
to gather | összeszedni |
to whisk | habverő |
steady stream | egyenletes sugárban |
incorporated | egységessé vált |
vigorously | erőteljesen |
to coat | bevonni |
to strain | átszűrni |
to remove | eltávolítani |
to stir | keverni |
pitcher | kancsó |
lid | fedél |
plastic wrap | műanyag fólia |
custard | tejsodó |
soft peaks | lágy csúcsok |
to fold into | beleforgatni |
to deflate | összeessen (a felvert hab) |
to sprinkle | megszórni |
to make a minor adjustment | egy kis kiigazítást végezni |
to maintain | megtartani |
silken tofu | selymes tofu |
crumbled | morzsolt |
to blend; blender | turmixolni; turmixgép |
to scrape | kaparni |
frothy raw sugar |
habos nyerscukor |
to label – labeled (US) | címkézni |
to spike | alkohollal felturbózni |
flavour enhancer | ízfokozó |
to simmer | lassú tűzön főzni |
to temper | temperálni |
gradually | fokozatosan |
to get rid of | megszabadulni |
to preserve | megőrizni |
fluffy | könnyed és levegős |