🎅🏼Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas!🎄
Homemade Spiked Eggnog! There’s a reason this delicious drink has been around for so long and continues to be a favorite tipple to celebrate the holidays. This recipe is creamy and not too sweet. The light-as-air meringue forms floating clouds that make each sip irresistibly luscious. The recipe is actually very easy to make. If you want to surprise your family and guests this year, give them a glass of Homemade Spiked Eggnog. You will be amazed how special it really is.
A Real Little “Dickens”
When I was a kid, I never liked eggnog, but I didn’t know why. I remember how I tried it every single year, and it was always the same, Yuck! Who could drink this stuff? 🥴
Every Christmas morning 🎄, I would wake up long before anyone else. First I’d paw through my stocking 🧦, check out the loot 🎁🎁🎁. Maybe even go through my brother’s and sister’s stockings too, to see what they got and how my gifts measured up in comparison 🤦🏻♀️. Next, I’d check under the tree 🌲 . “Hmmmmm, whats for me”? Any unwrapped mega gifts? (you know, bikes 🚲 , scooters 🛴 and the “unwrappables”). What a complete little monster, right? Finally, a trip to the fridge. I’d pour a little bit of eggnog from the carton. It always smelled so good, but nope, awful. Same horrible stuff, every single time. Clearly this was a very early training exercise for my future love of bourbon.
The Proof Is In The Pudding Carton (Homemade Spiked Eggnog)
Every year we’d have a party on Christmas Eve. When we were little, we’d go to sleep before the action really started. You know, in bed in time to get a good nights sleep, while visions of sugar plums 🍭 🍬 and presents 🎁 , danced in our heads. I actually still remember worrying that they’d be up so late that 🎅🏼 would not be able to leave our presents (see, always a little monster).
Guess what I finally figured out? After so many years, I caught on! I’d been drinking a very spiked eggnog 🤯. It was my dads not-totally-homemade version of ” Homemade Spiked Eggnog” from the night before, carefully poured back into the carton when the party was over. Truth be told, everyone (21 years and older) was sipping the Spiked Eggnog throughout Christmas morning too.
Twas The Night Before Christmas! 🐹
My dad was known for his giant punch bowl filled with his own Homemade Spiked Eggnog. It was one of those old-fashioned punch bowls with matching glasses. We brought it out every year on Christmas Eve. What I learned later was that dads homemade eggnog was most often, actually from a carton. My dads famous recipe including bourbon, cognac and brandy. He topped it with a generous amount of freshly beaten meringue and nutmeg.
Well, it took me a few years, but I’m fairly sure that I started to love this stuff by the time I was 10 years old (just kidding, I was at least 12).
The Homemade Spiked Eggnog
Here’s a delicious recipe for Homemade Spiked Eggnog. You can do the whole kit and caboodle and make the eggnog fresh, or you can spike a store bought carton. Either way, it’s delicious, but I will say, homemade is kind of amazing. Maybe one year, when you have an extra 30 minutes or so, give it a try. If you don’t have the time, by all means, try this recipe with pre-made eggnog from the grocery store. YOLO, and this is divine!
Guess what, this recipe basically equates to ice cream custard. Its what you make before you add it to the ice cream maker. What could be better? The French name for almost the same concoction is Sabayon. In Italian, it’s a Zabaglione. An egg based sauce with cream and alcohol, that you pour over dessert or fresh fruit. We’re just putting a lot of booze in it and we call it eggnog. Then with a heart felt cheer to the season, we drink it!
Egg-strodinary 🥚🥚🥚
Did you know that the alcohol kills bacteria in uncooked eggs? The booze is actually of medicinal value in old-fashioned, uncooked eggnog 😉. However, it would take a few weeks to work if the eggs actually did have any bad bacteria. If you are concerned no worries with this recipe, because we’re cooking the egg yolks. No raw eggs in this recipe only the egg whites for the light as cloud meringue. NOTE: If you are concerned about raw egg whites, skip using them in this recipe. Adding the whipped egg whites for the meringue is sort of the cherry on top of the sundae. Pssst, by the way, the bacteria from bad eggs is not generally found in the whites, only the yolks, just sayin’.
Homemade Spiked Eggnog
Separate 6 eggs. Put the yolks into a medium-sized, non reactive bowl. Put the whites into another similar bowl.
Into a medium, heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat 4 cups whole milk and 2 cups of half and half. Heat on medium low until warm, do not simmer or boil.
Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg until they are very pale yellow and form a ribbon when you run a spoon through the mixture.
Whisking constantly, pour some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs to temper. Then, very carefully to ensure the eggs don’t scramble, return the mixture to the pan and continue to cook on medium low until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15-20 minutes. You need to stir almost constantly with a wooden spoon.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then add the bourbon, the Cognac and the Brandy. Let the eggnog chill at least 4 hours.
Serving
Just before serving, whip the egg whites with 1/4 cup of sugar to soft peaks, this forms the cloud-like meringue. Fold the meringue lightly into the eggnog.
If you are serving to a group, add to a glass bowl or punch bowl. It’s also pretty in glass mugs or double rocks glasses.
NOTE: If you are making this with store bought eggnog, add 1 1/2 cups bourbon and 3/4 cups cognac and brandy per 1/2 gallon of eggnog. That’s about 16 servings. Mix well, then fold in the meringue and top with nutmeg.
Cheers! And I wish you a very happy, safe and joy-filled holiday! Happy New Year too! XO,
Karen
Eggnog Homemade Spiked 🎄
Notes
NOTE: If you are making this with store bought eggnog, add 1 1/2 cups bourbon and 3/4 cups cognac and brandy per 1/2 gallon of eggnog. That's about 16 servings. Mix well, follow the recipe for the meringue. Fold in the meringue and top with fresh nutmeg.
The meringue is what really makes this drink so delicious, but If you're not using the meringue due to health concerns, top with lightly whipped cream. But only if you're feeling extra naughty!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar (divided)
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup brandy
- 3/4 cup cognac
- 1 1/2 cups bourbon
- 6 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Separate 6 eggs. Put the yolks into a non reactive, medium sized bowl. Put the whites into another bowl.
- Into a medium sized sauce pan, heat 4 cups whole milk and 2 cups of half and half. Heat on medium low until warm, do not simmer or boil.
- Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg until they are very pale yellow and form a ribbon when you run a spoon through the mixture. Whisking constantly, pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs, very carefully to ensure the eggs don't scramble. Return the mixture to the pan and continue to cook on medium low until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15-20 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then add the bourbon, the Cognac and the Brandy. Chill at least 4 hours. Just before serving, whip the egg whites with 1/4 cup of sugar to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites/meringue lightly into the eggnog. If you are serving to a group, add to a glass bowl or punch bowl. Top with fresh nutmeg.
- If serving in individual glasses, it’s nice served in glass mugs or double old fashioned glasses.
