Monday, December 16, 2013

Homemade eggnog

Make your holiday extra special by making your own homemade eggnog, with or without booze -- it's easy!
make your own homemade eggnog

Welcome to eggnog week! Yes, week. I've got some baking-with-eggnog holiday recipes coming up later this week, but today we're starting with the basics.

Step away from the store-bought carton of eggnog: it's wicked easy to make your own. And yours will not be full of chemicals and gross-ass preservatives. So yay for you.

We love eggnog around Casa de Ninj. With or without booze.

(Can you believe I just said "without booze"? I barely recognize myself after that.)

The boozy version is fun and great but sometimes -- say, when you're baking or when you are 10 years old -- you need a straight-up, non-alcholic version.

There's much back-and-forth debate over cooked versus uncooked eggnog (it has to do with the eggs and the risk of salmonella) -- I'm not going to get into it. Just know that this eggnog recipe is a cooked one, so entirely safe for everyone in the family.

And it really is super easy, which you know if one of my primary recipe criteria.

Feel free to play around with the spices if you like (less or more nutmeg, a dash of cloves, more vanilla, whatevs). Also, I used skim milk, which will not yield as thick an eggnog as you may like; if you like it thick, try using 2 percent or even whole milk.

Are you a hater or lover of eggnog? And, if you don't like to drink it, do you at least enjoy eggnog-flavored baked goods at holiday time? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

make your own homemade eggnog

Homemade Eggnog

(adapted from Baking Bites)
Note: This is non-alcoholic eggnog. If you want to ramp it up, add a shot of bourbon to each glass before serving.



Ingredients:
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar (add a bit more if you like you 'nog really sweet -- I don't)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups skim milk

Directions:
Whisk together the eggs and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and heat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to 160 degrees (barely a simmer) and let it simmer for one minute. (This makes it hot enough to kill any potential bad bacteria.) Pour into a pitcher or other container, cool slightly, then chill in the refrigerator.

www.yankeekitchenninja.com
-- print recipe --

15 comments:

  1. I have never tried to make eggnog!

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  2. Questions... having never made egg nog... would it come out thicker if I used whole milk (cause we like it über thick)? Do you think it would work with soy milk (I think I'd use vanilla soy milk)?

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    1. Yes, it will definitely be thicker with whole milk. I have no idea how it would work with soy milk -- let me know if you try it!

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  3. I love the fact that you said no "gross-ass preservatives"! Although eggnog without the liquor? I don't think we can be friends anymore.

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    1. Aw, come on! It's only non-alcoholic b/c I've been using it in baked goods -- and I did include how-to-booze-it-up directions in the headnote. :-)

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  4. I've never been impressed with store-bought eggnog. But I'm really excited to try a homemade version. I'm having eggnog-loving family over on Sunday, so I'm going to make this for sure! Perfect timing... thanks Ninj!

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  5. do you use only the yolks? or the whole eggs?

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  6. How long will this last in the fridge? I am thinking less than store-bought given their are no additives...?

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    1. You are correct -- but we kept ours in the fridge for about 10 days with no issues. Enjoy!

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  7. About how much eggnog does this recipe make?

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    1. About a quart -- it's easy to double it if you'd like more!

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  8. That's how we used to make it growing up +/- sugar. I never knew they sold it in stores, I also never knew people put booze in it. Such a sheltered childhood. LOL

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  9. I've been looking for a homemade version this year to get away from the store bought stuff. I am really excited to try this as a drink, but I'm even more excited to try it in my Cranberry Eggnog Crumb Coffee Cake this holiday season. Yum!!!

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