How to Make Eggnog

Eggnog is one of the most stereotypical, well-known drinks associated with the winter season and Christmas celebrations. It has a distinctive taste, and it makes for a delicious, naughty treat to indulge in every once in a while. Of course, as with everything, you want to find a great recipe to use, as it can make or break the taste of the beverage itself. If you want to learn how to make a delicious winter treat, you’re in the right place. Here’s how you can make eggnog yourself.

• 6 large eggs (you’ll only need the yolks for this recipe)
• Half a cup of granulated sugar
• One cup of heavy whipping cream
• Two cups of milk
• Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• A pinch of salt
• A quarter of a teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Alcohol of your choice

Making eggnog

While eggnog may seem like a simple beverage to make yourself, it requires precision and skill, so you’ll need to pay attention to instructions and work with the ingredients when making it. The recipe begins by taking your eggs, and separating the yolks into a bowl, before adding all of your granulated sugar into the bowl with the yolks and whisking.

Now, take a separate saucepan and stir the cream, milk, salt, and nutmeg all over a medium-high heat. You should keep working these ingredients in together until they reach a light simmer, and then it’s time to add it to the egg-sugar mixture.

You’ll want to add the hot mixture into the egg mixture one spoonful at a time, mixing the ingredients together after every spoonful. Once both the mixtures have been mixed together entirely, pour the final liquid back into the saucepan and whisk. The mixture shouldn’t thicken much here, and you’ll only need to whisk for around two minutes.

Finish the eggnog by removing it from the heat and adding the vanilla extract, making sure it’s stirred through thoroughly, and refrigerate the eggnog.

Adding alcohol

To make the holidays a little merrier, you may choose to add some alcohol to your eggnog, and it’s a very easy modification – you don’t even need to add the alcohol until the eggnog is being served.

Firstly, you need to choose something strong, with a high alcohol content, as this can help to counterbalance the creaminess and soft texture of the flavours. Popular choices include brandy, rum, or bourbon, but you can add anything you fancy.

To add the alcohol, simply mix it in with the chilled eggnog after it’s been pre-prepared. The best ratio of alcohol to eggnog is 1 part alcohol to every 5 parts eggnog, as this leaves a subtle flavour that doesn’t overpower the spices and traditional eggnog taste.