Eggnog Recipe: How To Make An Old-Fashioned Eggnog

Name: Eggnog Recipe: How To Make An Old-Fashioned Eggnog
Ingredients: 12 egg yolks, whites reserved; 2 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons; 4 cup whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; pinch of kosher salt; 3 cup bourbon (maker’s mark is a great choice. the sweeter the bourbon, the better.); ¾ cup cognac or brandy (courvoisier, hennessy, or remy martin will all work fine. don’t blow the bank on this if you don’t want); ½ cup dark rum (myer’s is the best thing going); 1 whole vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise; 1 teaspoon of whole nutmeg, freshly grated, plus some for garnish

AdamBoles3|Dec. 19, 2013 12:00 am EST

3.2 (5 ratings)

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This recipe may take significantly more time and labor than opening a carton, but we promise that it’s worth it.

Servings

25

Ingredients

12 egg yolks, whites reserved
2 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of kosher salt
3 cup bourbon (maker’s mark is a great choice. the sweeter the bourbon, the better.)
¾ cup cognac or brandy (courvoisier, hennessy, or remy martin will all work fine. don’t blow the bank on this if you don’t want)
½ cup dark rum (myer’s is the best thing going)
1 whole vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise
1 teaspoon of whole nutmeg, freshly grated, plus some for garnish

Directions

Separate the eggs, reserving the whites in a sealable storage container that you immediately throw in the freezer, and keep there until the night before your party. If you’re only allowing yourself 24 hours, the whites should be fine in the fridge overnight. Place the yolks in the bowl of your stand mixer (a hand beater works fine, too).
With the whisk attachment, beat the yolks until they start to change color. With good eggs, the yolks will start out a dark orange-yellow, and turn a lighter yellow as you beat them.
With the mixer going, gradually add 2 cups of sugar until creamy. Add the milk, nutmeg, and all the booze, and stir to combine.
Place the mixture in a tightly sealed jar, drop in the vanilla bean, and let it sit in your fridge at least overnight, and up to a week. The flavors will meld and deepen with some time getting to know each other. The longer you let it sit, the better it will taste. All the alcohol acts as preservative, so you don’t have to worry about it going sour.
The night before your party, pull the egg whites out of the freezer, and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, pull them out of the fridge about an hour before you’re planning to serve the eggnog, allowing them to come up to room temperature.
In your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat your egg whites with a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar until they form stiff peaks. Remove the meringue to your punch bowl.
In the same mixing bowl — no need to wash it out — beat the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks, then add it to the punch bowl.
Get your alcohol and egg mixture from the fridge — it will have separated some, which is fine — remove the vanilla bean, and stir it to recombine. Pour it into the punch bowl, and with a large whisk and a gentle touch, whisk the mixture together with the whipped cream and meringue until just combined. You want to be very careful not to be too aggressive with your whisking, or you run the risk of deflating the whole thing.
Grate some more nutmeg over the top, and serve immediately. If you think it’s going to sit around for a while (which it probably won’t given how amazing it is), you’ll want to keep it cold. A tightly sealed mason jar filled with ice and set inside the bowl should do the trick.