Eggnog

Yes, I'm aware it has been a whole week since I've posted.  Not only have I not had any time, I haven't made anything interesting.  I don't think you're interested in reading about last night's burritos (even though I did the pintos from scratch) or the basic steak and veggies I had before that.  But this is one of the adventurous recipes I was referring to before my roof sprang a leak and I worked six days in a row.  So, I literally just made this less than 10 minutes ago and rushed to post it.

I love eggnog.  I always have, and never understood why the adults "ruined" it by adding alcohol.  I didn't know that some people find eggnog gross, and only drink it because it's spiked.  To me, it tasted like drinkable ice cream.

Ok, so I was really nervous when I made this.  This is basically raw eggs and cream, not the pasteurized stuff you get in the market.  You can't use pasteurized eggs in this because the whites won't whip to stiff peaks.  I went grocery shopping today, so this is as fresh an egg as I can get short of raising a chicken.  Let you know later if I got sick.

To make this an anytime drink and fine to put in my morning coffee, I made this batch alcohol-free.  I'm going to add a little rum or bourbon later to a single cup (it's 11:30 am!), but nowhere near as much as Alton Brown's recipe calls for.  It's probably safer to drink with the alcohol in there to kill whatever lurks in raw eggs, but the American supply is generally safe if stored properly.

I put the custard in the stand mixer and did the whites with the hand electric beater, so this took far less time than Alton's 15 minutes.  Totally up to you.

4 eggs, separated
1/3 C + 1 Tb sugar
*2 C whole milk
*3 oz burbon (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg
*1 C heavy cream

1.  In a stand mixer, beat together egg yolks and 1/3 C sugar until pale and foamy.  Slowly add milk, cream, bourbon (if using), and nutmeg and beat on low until smooth.  If you have a splash collar for the mixer, use it.

2.  In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add remaining 1 Tb sugar and beat to stiff peaks.

3.  Whisk together milk and whites until smooth.  Chill.  Before serving, stir mixture smooth again if the whites have separated.  Serve plain, or with a garnish of whipped cream and nutmeg.  Use within 2 days.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  π