The Perfect Homemade Eggnog
DC Steak House in Chandler is fine dining par excellence in every season. At this time of year as the holidays approach, we begin to think of the special sweet treats associated with the season: cookies, candy canes, panettone, and pumpkin pie. As the family gathers together, one of our favorite treats to share is homemade eggnog.
Eggnog is one of those drinks you either love or hate. We love it! And we want to share with you an easy recipe for making your own rich, creamy eggnog at home. It’s a simple mixture of egg yolk and cream that requires about ten minutes to prepare and three hours to chill.
The secret to great eggnog is how you temper the egg yolks. You slowly add hot liquid to the beaten eggs to raise their temperature. If you add the milk too fast, you will cook the eggs—you don’t want to do that! You will want to warm the eggs with the hot milk and whisk them together until they are completely combined. Then cook this mixture over medium heat until it reaches about 160 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, no problem! You will know it’s done when it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, but isn’t boiling yet.
Ready to try it? Here’s the process in six easy steps:
Combine 2 cups of milk, ½ tsp of ground cinnamon, ½ tsp of nutmeg, and ½ tsp of vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat and slowly bring it to a low boil.
While the milk mixture is heating up, whisk 6 large egg yolks and ½ cup of granulated sugar together in a large bowl. The egg yolks should be pale yellow in color. When the milk is ready, slowly add it to the egg yolks in small batches, whisking constantly until it is thoroughly combined.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is slightly thick and hot enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil!
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of heavy cream. If you want to add ⅓ cup of brandy, bourbon, rum or whisky, now is the time. The eggnog is fantastic without alcohol, but the choice is up to you.
Refrigerate the eggnog until it is chilled. It will keep in your refrigerator for up to a week. But really, who wants to wait that long?
When you are ready to serve it, garnish it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then stand back and watch the smiles!
This recipe serves four; you can expand it to serve as many as you need.
Celebrate the Holidays at DC Steakhouse in Chandler, AZ
Our fine dining restaurant is ready to make your holidays special. We may not have homemade eggnog on hand, but we do have an elegant wine selection to compliment your choice of appetizer and entré. Call for reservations and enjoy your evening of fine dining with us. Happy Holidays!
Images used under creative commons license - commercial use (12/5/24). Image by Panteha Saeedi from Pixabay