It’s Christmas Day; a day of celebration and togetherness. And, yes… if you’re lucky, lots of presents, copious amounts of food and plenty of eggnog.
I’ve made eggnog previously – that one being uncooked, which was perfectly yummy. This year, however, I got tempted to try a recipe from Meredith Steele, found on Jamie Oliver’s website and rather immodestly called ‘The best eggnog in the world’. I liked the additional spices used in the recipe, though once again it was uncooked. So, I decided to cook the egg custard and I’m really glad I did as I much preferred the thicker consistency.
As per usual, whipped egg whites are added into the eggnog at the last minute. You don’t HAVE to do this if you don’t like the frothy texture – the base mixture on its own (shown in the photo above) is perfectly scrummy, let me assure you. Simply give it a good whisk before serving.
I’m happy to report that the eggnog went down very well at our Christmas brunch. Would I say it’s the ‘best eggnog in the world’? Well, I think that might be a bit of a stretch given all the great recipes out there, but I’m no eggnog connoisseur. What I can say is that it is perfectly delicious and very drinkable (a bit like a milkshake), though the boys in the family thought it could do with a bit more booze – no surprises there! Happy Christmas!
Eggnog (cooked)
Ingredients
- 3 cups 700ml whole milk
- 1 cup 240ml heavy or double cream
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean pod split and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg plus more for garnish
- 5 eggs separated
- 2/3 130g cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 3/4 cup 175ml bourbon (I used Jim Beam)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean & seeds, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and allow to steep.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until combined and thick ribbons form when the whisk is lifted.
- Slowly whisk in the milk (a little at first to temper the mixture) and continue to mix until the mixture is combined and smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over a moderately low heat, stirring continuously. Cook the mixture until thickened (if you have a thermometer, take it to 160°F (71°C), but no higher.* Remove from the heat immediately and stir in the bourbon. Decant into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill for up to 3 days.
To serve:
- Beat the egg whites in a large bowl or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into eggnog until combined. Serve immediately and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. NB: The mixture will eventually separate; if so, simply give it a whisk.
