It's That Time of Year for Eggnog!

It's that time of year again for eggnog! Not all of you might be big fans of eggnog but I grew up with it being served at the holidays so it's in my system! It was my father's favorite drink during the holidays and now it just brings back warm and cozy memories of sitting around the fireplace, listening to holiday music and helping dad (yea, dad not mom) bake all those holiday treats!

I bet not all of you know that eggnog was once a mixture of milk and wine concocted long ago in the "Old World" in Europe. When the tradition was brought to America, rum was used in place of wine. Back then rum was commonly known as "grog" so the name eggnog derived from the two words egg and grog which eventually just turned into eggnog! Well, this is one version. Another version came from the word "noggin" which was a small, wooden, carved mug and it is thought eggnog started out as a mix of sherry. The English called this concoction "Dry sack posset". It's easy to see how an egg drink in a noggin could become eggnog. In the 1800's eggnog was nearly always served as a social drink and mostly during the holidays. So, this tradition has obviously lived on!

Here is a recipe for traditional eggnog you can serve up at your next holiday get together!

Traditional Eggnog Recipe

12 eggs, separated

6 cups milk

2 cups heavy/ thickened cream

2 cups bourbon

1 1/2 cups sugar

¾ cup brandy

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

In a large bowl and using a mixer, beat the egg yolks together with the sugar for approx 10 minutes (you want the mixture to be firm and the colour of butter). Very slowly, add in the bourbon and brandy - just a little at a time. When bourbon and brandy have been added, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge (for up to 6 hours, depending on how long before your party you're making the eggnog). 30 minutes before your guests arrive, stir the milk into the chilled yolk mixture. Stir in 1+ ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a mixer on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. In yet another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture. After ladling into cups, garnish with the remainder of the ground nutmeg.

Of course if kids are going to be drinking it, you'll want to omit the alcohol. :)

Serves: 8.