The flavours of eggnog can also be found in my White Chocolate Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding, perfect for Christmas morning! Christmas is the time for all those traditional treats we dream of the rest of the year. So you can imagine how I felt after moving to the UK when I realised that store bought eggnog was nowhere to be found! But never fear, that’s just the perfect excuse to come up with my own homemade eggnog recipe! It took some work but I’ve come up with one that I’m really excited about. It’s true Christmas decadence in the best way possible, luxury in a glass! Creamy, smooth and with all of those spices that we associate with the season. This really is Christmas in a glass!
What gives it taste
What I discovered is that key to success is the right blend of spices. Exactly what the right blend is for you might be very personal. The milk and the eggs are just the carriers of the taste. Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and such are what makes it taste like the eggnog we love. The recipe that I am about to share appeals to my taste. Please feel free to adjust the amounts of various spices to fit your own.
How to make it
This homemade eggnog recipe is quite straightforward except for step 4, where you combine the eggs with the hot milk. What usually happens when we apply heat to the eggs is they get cooked! Our main goal here is to “cook” the eggs, so they are safe to eat but not to end up with a batch of milky scrambled eggs. Trust me it’s very easy to do and happens QUICKLY! Here is how to avoid that. With your mixer still running slowly add half of the milk to the egg mixture to temper the eggs, blend well. Tempering should prevent the eggs from curdling in the next step.
How to serve it
Eggnog is often enjoyed with a dash of alcohol as it cuts through the sweetness, although this definitely isn’t necessary. Brandy is traditionally used, but whiskey and dark rum work well too. My absolute favourite way to drink eggnog is in my morning coffee. A bit of eggnog can replace both sugar and cream! Nothing can be more satisfying on a cold winter morning than sipping a cup of coffee with eggnog while watching your little ones lazily eating breakfast by the light of the Christmas tree. Merry Christmas!!
