Yeah I know it's only the middle of August, but hey, we all know that the Holiday Season will be upon us before we know it. With that being said, I'd like to share with you an eggnog recipe that I've been making for my family every year for the past 18 years.
Although I've never deviated from the recipe, this year I'm going to be adding a couple of split-in-half vanilla beans as I think some vanilla flavor would only improve it. And it only took me 18 years to figure that out !
Here is the article / recipe as I found it in the December 21, 1988 Detroit News:
There are two kinds of eggnog in the world, mine and sorry imitations of mine. Mine is velvety, creamy and redolent of bourbon. It induces a dream-like state a poet once referred to as a “long winter’s nap.” Soupy imitation eggnogs contain fruit juice, rum, or – heaven forbid – eggnog ice cream. They are for “people on the go.”
Mine is made for people going nowhere. My eggnog is for people who want to remain pleasantly immobile, who want to spend time talking with people they care about. It is a drink for holiday gatherings where the slow ebb and flow of life, rather than a quick-silver business deal, is what people want to talk about. If this steady-as-she-goes pace bothers you, then my eggnog is NOT for you.
Nor is it for folks who are phobic about calories, cholesterol or alcohol. My eggnog has all that stuff. My eggnog is an old-fashioned, indulgent drink that relies on the old-time remedy of common sense to prevent any abuses.
I am frequently asked questions about my eggnog. Questions like; “Is it a lot of work to make?” The answer is “Yes.” The first step of the eggnog-making procedure, mixing the sugar and the bourbon, begins the night before the other steps needed to complete the elixir can commence.
Another often-asked question I get is, “How many calories are in this eggnog?” The short answer is beyond calculation. I lost my nerve when the total of HALF the ingredients in the recipe topped 6,000. But the calorie total should be divided by 20 if you serve the eggnog in big cups or by 30 if you serve it in petite portions.
The next question usually is, “Is the eggnog worth the trouble and calories?” You bet your little bowl full of jelly it is! Drinking this eggnog ranks right up there in holiday pleasures with peeling tangerines and watching small children open presents on Christmas morning.
Here is the recipe:
The World’s Greatest Eggnog
• 4 Cups Bourbon (A liter of Jim Beam HAS 4 cups)
• 2 ¼ Cups Sugar
• 12 Large Egg Yolks
• 8 Cups Whipping Cream
Pour the bourbon into a very large mixing bowl. Add sugar and let sit several hours – overnight if you can wait. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before proceeding to the next step. (I use a large Tupperware bowl with a lid so I can vigorously shake the mixture periodically)
Beat the egg yolks (NO WHITES!) until they are an ugly yellow color. Fold into the bourbon-sugar mix. Let sit for two hours – overnight if you can wait. (Obviously, you want to make sure to refrigerate this mixture, and again, periodically shake vigorously)
Add the cream to the bourbon – sugar – egg yolk mixture. Let sit for two hours – overnight again if you can wait. (Shake and / or stir periodically to ensure as homogenous of a mixture as possible)
The recipe may be cut in half if you are clever enough to know how to divide 2 ¼ by two. Serve in cups. Serves 20 to 30. NUTMEG NOT PERMITTED!
Although I've never deviated from the recipe, this year I'm going to be adding a couple of split-in-half vanilla beans as I think some vanilla flavor would only improve it. And it only took me 18 years to figure that out !
Here is the article / recipe as I found it in the December 21, 1988 Detroit News:
THE WORLD'S GREATEST EGGNOG
There are two kinds of eggnog in the world, mine and sorry imitations of mine. Mine is velvety, creamy and redolent of bourbon. It induces a dream-like state a poet once referred to as a “long winter’s nap.” Soupy imitation eggnogs contain fruit juice, rum, or – heaven forbid – eggnog ice cream. They are for “people on the go.”
Mine is made for people going nowhere. My eggnog is for people who want to remain pleasantly immobile, who want to spend time talking with people they care about. It is a drink for holiday gatherings where the slow ebb and flow of life, rather than a quick-silver business deal, is what people want to talk about. If this steady-as-she-goes pace bothers you, then my eggnog is NOT for you.
Nor is it for folks who are phobic about calories, cholesterol or alcohol. My eggnog has all that stuff. My eggnog is an old-fashioned, indulgent drink that relies on the old-time remedy of common sense to prevent any abuses.
I am frequently asked questions about my eggnog. Questions like; “Is it a lot of work to make?” The answer is “Yes.” The first step of the eggnog-making procedure, mixing the sugar and the bourbon, begins the night before the other steps needed to complete the elixir can commence.
Another often-asked question I get is, “How many calories are in this eggnog?” The short answer is beyond calculation. I lost my nerve when the total of HALF the ingredients in the recipe topped 6,000. But the calorie total should be divided by 20 if you serve the eggnog in big cups or by 30 if you serve it in petite portions.
The next question usually is, “Is the eggnog worth the trouble and calories?” You bet your little bowl full of jelly it is! Drinking this eggnog ranks right up there in holiday pleasures with peeling tangerines and watching small children open presents on Christmas morning.
Here is the recipe:
The World’s Greatest Eggnog
• 4 Cups Bourbon (A liter of Jim Beam HAS 4 cups)
• 2 ¼ Cups Sugar
• 12 Large Egg Yolks
• 8 Cups Whipping Cream
Pour the bourbon into a very large mixing bowl. Add sugar and let sit several hours – overnight if you can wait. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before proceeding to the next step. (I use a large Tupperware bowl with a lid so I can vigorously shake the mixture periodically)
Beat the egg yolks (NO WHITES!) until they are an ugly yellow color. Fold into the bourbon-sugar mix. Let sit for two hours – overnight if you can wait. (Obviously, you want to make sure to refrigerate this mixture, and again, periodically shake vigorously)
Add the cream to the bourbon – sugar – egg yolk mixture. Let sit for two hours – overnight again if you can wait. (Shake and / or stir periodically to ensure as homogenous of a mixture as possible)
The recipe may be cut in half if you are clever enough to know how to divide 2 ¼ by two. Serve in cups. Serves 20 to 30. NUTMEG NOT PERMITTED!
ENJOY!!!!!
My boyfriend is an eggnog fanatic, so I know he'll appreciate it...
