I first learned to make eggnog around 1968, when I was 10 years old and we’d just moved to 754 Ithaca Street, Boulder, Colorado. At the top of the street were what appeared to be mountains–the greenbelt started there–and above that rose the most dramatic foothills just about anywhere, the Flatirons. I was slack jawed by it all. The Curse of Chief Niwot had me in its thrall.
Next I wandered into our new backyard, the heat of the day just coming on, a dazzlingly blue, cloudless sky above and in the dry gulch below the sound of a happy society of spring peepers. I carefully climbed down into the gulch, seeing prickly pear cactus for the first time. Someone called out hello to me. I looked up and a woman was coming down the steep hill on the other side carrying a basket. She said she was the welcome wagon and asked where could she find my mother. He name was Beverly Carrigan and since that day nearly 50 years ago now, two generations our families have been close friends.
We played football in the gulch with the Carrigan kids and our dads, hung around at their house. Bev is a great cook and hostess and one summer day as I idled around her house we got to talking about eggnog. “One cup of milk, an egg, one teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of nutmeg and a tablespoon of whiskey,” she said. With the thought of custardy eggnog in mind, I bolted from her house, recipe in head, picking my way down the steep gulch on their side and running up it on our side,through our back yard and straight to the kitchen and mixed it up, whiskey and all. It was delicious but made me feel a bit sleepy. No matter, it was custardy good.
In the following weeks I made it a few times to my great satisfaction until my mother came into the kitchen as I was reaching for the whiskey and asked what I was doing. That ended my obsession with spiked eggnog for many years. I have always loved Bev for teaching me the truth about grown-up eggnog.
Fast forward to 2014, apres ski in Nederland, Colorado. John, my sister Emily and I had left Eldora and stopped by the Buffalo Bill’s Coffee and Confections, set in his old train car, for a snack of homemade tiny donuts. We got a basketful of donuts then I spied the Warm Eggnog with Bourbon on the menu scrawled above our heads and had to try it. Warm eggnog!
If you visit Nederland, Colorado during ski season you can kick back in Buffalo Bill’s train car with a cup of warm eggnog. It’s just the drink to chase away the cold. Ahh!
We took our food and drink and walked back past the candy and took a left turn into a well-lit train car. Slumping down in the leather cushions where Buffalo Bill once lounged, I escaped and enjoyed while we talked about the day. There is almost nothing better than the way the sun slants in through the windows when you are stretched out in it. Perhaps I was a cat in another life?
So, before we make the eggnog, I want to slowly and with much em-PHA-sis, point out that diseases from eggs, such as salmonella, come from the outside of the egg, not the inside. So remember that when you’re using raw eggs in any recipe you must wash your eggs in soapy water and then rinse them before breaking them open. Must do. To protect your good health. My recipe below calls for almost-cooked eggs but the same egg-washing rules apply.
Wash your 12 eggs before using them. Then break them into a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup of sugar.
Beat the sugar and eggs until they reach the ribbon stage.
Pour 4 1/2 cups whole milk and 1 1/2 cups half-and-half into a saucepan and heat to 160 degrees F .
160 degree F milk and cream mixture.
Temper the eggs by adding the milk mixture a bit at time until it is all incorporated into the egg mixture.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook to 160 degrees F or until the eggs thicken and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. This will only take a couple minutes, so be careful, or you will have scrambled eggs!
When you blow on the back of the spoon, the petals of a rose will appear when the eggnog is ready to come off the heat. Don’t overcook or you’ll have scrambled eggs.
This is how mine looked when I decided to draw the pan off the heat.
I added a teaspoon of nutmeg but you can add up to another teaspoon, if you like a strong flavor.
Since I am pouring hot liquid into a glass pitcher so I add a large metal spoon to conduct the heat away from the glass before pouring to prevent the pitcher from cracking.
Cooked Eggnog – Safe, Creamy and Dreamy
Serves 12; Preparation time: 30 minutes
- 12 whole eggs, washed and rinsed before breaking open
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or cream
1 to 2 tsp ground nutmeg - pinch of salt
- Optional Additions:1 tablespoon whiskey, bourbon or rum to taste to each cup
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar until they reach the ribbon stage. These eggs will gain a lot of volume because of the egg whites. While this is mixing, bring the milk-cream mixture to 160 degrees F then take the pan off the heat. Slowly add the scalded milk, a little at a time until it is all incorporated into the eggs.
Pour the egg mixture into the milk pan and stir with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight pattern on the bottom of the pan until the eggnog thickens. This will only take a couple minutes, so don’t walk away. If you boil it, you will scramble your eggs, so you will need to pay attention and stir the mixture in a figure-eight pattern in the saucepan until you see it coat the pan. Blow on the back of the coated wooden spoon and a rose will form. then you know it is done.
Stir the nutmeg and a pinch of salt into the eggnog and then pour into a container to cool. Serve cold or warm. I like to serve it warm. If you like you can add a tablespoon of whiskey, bourbon or rum to a mug of eggnog.
This eggnog will last in your fridge for at least a week, that is, if you don’t drink it before that.
Hope you enjoyed today’s post on eggnog.
Thank you for reading along!
Cooky
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