Yes, we’re making eggnog-the right way.

In my family, we can’t go past the Saturday after Thanksgiving without going to a tree farm and cutting down our Christmas tree.  And we surely can’t decorate that beautiful Noble Fir without eggnog.  At least I can’t.  My husband, on the other hand, really doesn’t care for eggnog-you know, the kind you buy in a carton at the store, drink a half of a glass of and can’t finish the rest because it’s too rich and so the rest of it sits in the carton, growing mold until after New Years when you finally make the resolution to clean out your fridge.  I know that kind of eggnog, and even though we buy it every year, truthfully, I’m not a fan of it either.

But homemade eggnog, real eggnog, is a different story all together.  (It’s so good my husband is insisting I call it, “The Nog.”)

Homemade eggnog is rich and creamy, but not overpoweringly so.  It’s sweet without being cloying, and when you add the optional but very much recommended small amount of bourbon and brandy, it becomes exactly what I think eggnog became famous for in the first place.  Plus, freshly grated whole nutmeg tastes far superior to the dried out spice that’s been in the jar in my pantry for the last three years (remind me to throw that out later).

The prelude to our eggnog story began last Saturday, when my husband and I packed up our baby and drove to Hagg’s Christmas Tree Farm.  This tree farm has been around since 1952 and is kind of a magical place, the kind that brings you back to Christmases you remember from your childhood.  The ground was a bit muddy and our feet got caught in blackberry brambles as we hiked the tree-studded hills searching for the absolute perfect Christmas tree, but that was okay.  We finally found it and chopped it down, then wandered around their barn where K. got his first photo taken with Santa, and made friends with their goats and a very vocal donkey who happened to have the same name as my husband (no jokes allowed, friends).

So, back at home as my very able husband hoisted the tree up our flight of stairs and began setting it up, I got to working on the eggnog.  I had no idea how to make it and am not even going to pretend that the recipe below is my own.  I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine, a place I searched first because I knew they would have a great recipe that has been lightened up but is just as good as the original.  In place of heavy cream, they used sweetened condensed milk and 1% milk instead of whole.  This is good for me because, while I wholeheartedly endorse the use of large quantities of whipping cream on a piece of pie, I am not as excited about downing a glassful.

It was the perfect glass of eggnog.  And yeah, I think the best part about it was definitely the addition of bourbon and brandy stirred in at the end with the vanilla extract.  There isn’t enough in there to knock you down and adds a lot of flavor, so don’t be afraid of it.

Our tree turned out beautifully, by the way.

Cheers to you and to a very Merry Christmas season.

Note:  you can find whole nutmeg in the bulk spice aisle of specialty food stores available very inexpensively.  Grind it with a microplane or another very fine grater, and I think you’ll find the flavor much, much better than jarred nutmeg, especially if it is old.

Homemade Eggnog from Cooking Light magazine

3 1/2        cups 1% milk

1/2           cup sweetened condensed milk

1                tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4            teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

1/8            teaspoon salt

2                large egg yolks

1/4            cup bourbon

2                tablespoons brandy

1                 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional freshly grated nutmeg

Combine first 5 ingredients (1% milk through salt) in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Be very careful as you are doing this, because you want the milk to boil without scalding at the bottom of the pot.  (You’ll know if it’s starting to scald because you’ll feel your whisk start to catch as you sweep it along the bottom of the pot.  If you whisk continuously, you shouldn’t encounter this problem, or at least too badly.)  Remove from heat.

Place yolks in a medium bowl and whisk.  Gradually whisk one third of the hot milk mixture into the yolks.  This process will ensure the egg yolks are cooked so as to ward off salmonella.  Again, be very diligent in your whisking here.  You want the resulting mixture to be very smooth because, after all, we’re making eggnog, not scrambled eggnog.  Return this yolk/milk mixture to the remaining hot milk mixture in the pot and cook over medium heat 1 minute or until slightly thickened.  Pour into a bowl or pitcher and stir in bourbon, brandy and vanilla.

Cover surface of eggnog with waxed paper or plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.  Garnish with additional nutmeg, if desired.

Serves 4-6, depending on glass size.

Cheers! (Cue the sound of glasses clinking in a toast to the Christmas season)