Eggnog may not be as popular in Australia as it is in the Northern hemisphere but it’s a delicious, rich drink that can easily be prepared at home for Christmas in July.
Eggnog Recipe – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
If your idea of eggnog is a store-bought custard-like flavourless mixture that’s poured out of a carton, this recipe will change your mind. When made from fresh ingredients and left to mellow for a minimum of two weeks, eggnog is a rich, sweet and creamy drink with warm spice notes that make it ideal to enjoy in the colder months.
This version of eggnog is big and punchy, a recipe where that does not skimp on fat and booze. It has thickened cream, full cream milk, egg yolk, sugar and three dark spirits in equal parts: rum, brandy and bourbon. The method is simple enough to make at home so you need not buy it ready made again and keeps well in the fridge.
When it’s freshly made, the eggnog will taste a little sharp and unrefined, much like a boozy batter. After a couple of weeks of ageing in the fridge, the flavours start to develop and mellow, becoming richer and more complex as the eggnog gets the consistency of an Irish Cream Liqueur. For best results, make the eggnog two weeks in advance of drinking. It can last up to one month.
You may have read that eggnog can be aged indefinitely in the fridge as all that alcohol acts as a preservative. We put it to the taste test and after two months in the fridge, it had separated in parts and lost a lot of flavour.
Eggnog may not be part of the hot Australian Christmas tradition but it makes for a delicious drink if you’re celebrating Christmas in July.
Eggnog Recipe
Adapted from My Aged Eggnog Recipe by Alton Brown – Makes approx 1 litre
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, separated, yolks only
- 225 g granular white sugar
- 350 ml thickened cream
- 350 ml full cream milk
- 120 ml bourbon
- 120 ml rum
- 120 ml cognac or brandy
- 1 nutmeg, grated
Equipment: electric beater, large bowl, pouring jug, swing top glass bottles
Method
- Separate the eggs and freeze the whites in a container for another use.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and half the grated nutmeg until the mixture becomes pale in colour.
- In another container such as a pouring jug, combine the milk, cream, rum, brandy and bourbon and stir to combine.
- Slowly beat the dairy and spirit mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
- Using a funnel, pour into swing top glass bottles and store in the fridge for a minimum of 2 weeks. We recommend up to 2 months.
- Before serving, remove the bottle from the fridge and give it a gentle roll as some of it may settle at the bottom. Pour into a glass or a mug with grated nutmeg on top.
