Drinks,  Party Food,  Recipes

Namma’s Traditional Homemade Eggnog

Namma’s Traditional Homemade Eggnog

My grandmother, affectionately know as Namma, has several coveted recipes.  One of her Christmas specialties is homemade Eggnog.  It was always out Christmas morning in her big silver punch bowl – and us kids were never allowed to partake.  This eggnog is a little different than others because it is made with ice cream, so you can imagine how bad we all wanted a taste!  Now that I am a grown up I can have eggnog any time I want! Since we moved from Austin to California, I have been missing my annual taste of rich, creamy homemade nog, and the store brands just don’t cut it.  This year I asked Namma for her recipe and she happily gave it to me.  This drink is the polar opposite of my other favorite Holiday cocktail, Rum with Apple Cider.

 

Really Into Traditional Eggnog

This is a quick and delicious holiday treat that anyone can make and everyone will be impressed.  This recipe is traditional, meaning it is made with raw eggs.  I read an article on the history of eggnog and I was amazed that George Washington’s recipe is very similar to Namma’s.  For me there is simply no substitute to the fresh eggnog, and my family and friends have been safely drinking for years.  I also eat raw cookie dough and cake batter.  I live on the edge.  There is plenty of alcohol in this and I am a firm believer that whiskey kills all bacteria.  The yolks and the whites are what make eggnog eggnog, but if you are worried about it there are plenty of recipes out there that include cooking the eggs.

The Recipe

This recipe has just a few ingredients: 1 dozen eggs, 12 tablespoons of sugar, high proof bourbon whiskey (we always use Wild Turkey 101), nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and a half gallon of good vanilla ice cream. In Texas we always used Blue Bell Ice Cream, but we can’t get that in California.  I used Tillamook, a brand I trust.  Because this is such a simple recipe, it is important to good quality eggs, ice cream and bourbon.  Leave the ice cream sitting on the counter while you are making the eggnog so it can soften.

First things first, separate your eggs.  You can flip the yolks back and forth between the eggshells, or simply put the yolk in your hand and strain the whites.

I put my yolks directly in the bowl I was using to serve and put my whites in my Kitchen Aid mixer.  No need to dirty more dishes than you need to!

If you have a mixer, go ahead and start whisking the egg whites.  If you are doing it manually, do this step after you add the sugar and bourbon to the yolks.  Whenever you are mixing egg whites to form peaks, make sure your bowl and whisk are very clean or they will not stand up.

While your whites are doing their job, beat the yolks and add the sugar.  If you would like to, add a touch of vanilla.

Once those are mixed, add 12 generous tablespoons of whiskey.  I like my tablespoons VERY generous.

When your egg whites are ready, they will look like this below.  Then gently fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture.

After that, scoop out your half gallon of softened ice cream into your bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and voiala!  You have homemade eggnog.  Seriously.  That is the whole recipe.  It is so good and so decadent.  Namma told me the reason why she uses ice cream is that she used to make it with milk and cream, but she would always have to wait hours for it to get ready in the refrigerator.  Ice cream was the solution to her eggnog impatience.  Necessity is the mother of invention.

This would look so much better in Namma’s silver punch bowl, but the taste is spot on!  I promise Namma’s Homemade Traditional Eggnog will impress all those you serve it to.  Beware, this eggnog is potent and filing.  It is a boozy dessert in a cup and one of my favorite things about the holidays.  You will never go back to store bought eggnog again.

My favorite part about eggnog is that it is best served during the Holiday Season and shared with family and friends.  If you are feeling fancy, put a pretty cinnamon stick in the cup.  Mark is the first person I have ever seen put whipped cream on Namma’s Traditional Homemade Eggnog, but he is decadent.  Just watch out for the Eggnog mustache you are surely going to wear while drinking!  Happy Holidays!

 

I am a Texan living in California with my husband Mark, my best pup Ziggy, and our two cats Marilyn and Goldie. I love reading, cooking, binge-watching great tv shows and staying up too late talking to my friends.

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