Aged Eggnog
First and foremost, my deepest apologies for my absence the past couple weeks MONTH (oh dear lord… I really thought when I sat down to write this it had been 3 weeks max… ugh). Somehow every year I forget how hectic October always works out to be, and this year was no exception. Between crazy client loads and multiple tax deadlines, there was thankfully still some wonderfully fun times with the wedding of 2 of our dearest friends, and (coincidently on the same day) the awesome experience that was Food Blog Forum. Consequently however, the combination left me with little time (or more accurately, energy) for evenings spent blogging.
In addition to a month of my time gone bye-bye, its looking like the warm weather has finally said adios to good ole Tennessee as well. I will give Mother Nature some credit this year however, because it really did seem as though we actually experienced that season some call fall, instead of the 2 weeks we typically consider “cooler summer”. With some warm days in between, it has really been here since Labor Day - and for that I cannot complain.
But now winter has hit, as we turned on our heat for the first time tonight, and I covered up my herbs in hopes that the cold wouldn’t kill them quite yet. So in the spirit of the colder temperatures, and in anticipation of the the festivities that keep us going in this dire time of year - I figured it high time to finally post about an experiment I have been waiting all year to try - Homemade Aged Eggnog.
Consider the picture above fair warning, that while this is still an experiment in the works, I expect (with good reason) that this is going to be one boozy eggnog. The recipe comes most directly from the folks over at Chow but has certainly made its way around the interwebs. The concept is pretty simple - eggs, cream, booze - let it sit in your fridge for a while - drink.
For most people, the idea of letting raw eggs and dairy sit in the back of their fridge for 1 month+ is absolutely frightening. I, for one, am a bit more adventurous… or at least cautiously so, as evidenced by my goat cheese making experiment - but for those of you a bit more leery, the nice folks over at NPR have done an experiment just for you. The basics of it is that the alcohol, over time, kills any possibility of bacteria that could be in those eggs or that cream, making it not only delicious, but safe as well. Now if I were you I would still recommend using the highest quality ingredients you can, but rest assured that the booze will should (can’t really claim to be an expert here by any means…) save you.
It is recommended that you give the eggnog at least 3 weeks to age - but up to 1 year is encouraged. I went middle of the road here and made mine in early October - so shooting for the 2.5 month range. Please also bear in mind that, while the interwebs have proven this to be delicious (albeit booooozzyyy), for me it is still an experiment - but I would love for you to join in this experiment with me, hence the sharing!
Without further ado…
HOMEMADE AGED EGGNOG
(from Chow; yields approx 1 gallon)
Eggnog:
12 large egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart (4 cups) whole milk
1 liter bourbon, such as Jim Beam
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 to 1 cup Cognac or brandy
Pinch kosher salt
To Serve:
10 egg whites
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Nutmeg
1. Combine egg yolks and sugar; whisk until well blended and creamy
2. Add cream, milk, bourbon, rum, brandy ands salt; stir until well combined and sugar mixture is dissolved.
3. Bottle. Refrigerate. (seriously… thats it) Quart sized ball jars work great, as do empty liquor bottles.
When it comes time to serve (at least 3 weeks later!), simply whip up the heavy cream with the egg whites and fold them into the eggnog - top with freshly grated nutmeg.
Lord willing the experiment will be wildly successful and I will have some great holiday stories to share about it in a few short months!
