To be perfectly honest with you, I have never really liked Eggnog…….until now! Eggnog is traditionally made with cream, milk, sugar, whipped eggs and some kind of spirit; typically rum, bourbon or brandy. As a child I thought it was gross, thick and mucous-like! As a teen it became a temptation of sorts because I knew it was served with alcohol but I wasn’t of legal drinking age to partake at the holiday parties. I still thought the beverage was too mucous-like, that somehow didn’t stop me from sneaking a sip or twenty and vomit usually ensued. As an adult I learned I had issues with dairy so I decided to avoid it. Plus there was that whole, it made me vomit as a light-weight teenager thing! Also I have never been a big fan of brandy, bourbon or rum whether of drinking age or not. so it seems like all the odds are stacked against this holiday beverage.
I am in the middle of a full fledged love affair with runny eggs and have been for a while, so it seems I have outgrown my disgust toward the mucous-like texture of eggnog in recent years. In fact, any time I can get a raw egg or raw yolk in a beverage or smoothie I will do it! Egg yolks are full of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and awesome things like iron, calcium, vitamins B6 and B12. Most of the eggnogs I have tried have been dairy-free like my recipe below, or made from a grass-fed dairy source and I seem to do okay with them. The one thing I did not enjoy about all of those “healthier” versions of Eggnog was the sugar content. They were much too sweet for my taste, even with the alcohol. I decided to tame down the sugar a bit for my recipe and I think it still tastes delicious.
I am still not a big fan of bourbon, rum or brandy. I will take a sip of a friend’s cocktail containing one of those spirits, but I will not order them on my own accord. I can drink vodka and tequila like a champ, but any dark liquors and I usually have to sit that round out! That is why I chose Maker’s Mark for the alcohol. It is a “sweeter” bourbon which complimetns the eggnog, but still bold in flavor so take it easier or it will overpower the drink. I created this recipe without an exact measurement for the alcohol. If you want it heavy, go for it. If you are more of a light-weight like me, that works too! I am good with a tablespoon, which is about half a shot.
Many eggnog recipes don’t require it to be heated, but most store bought versions are heated to prevent contamination due to raw eggs. I buy good quality eggs so that is not something I need to worry about but I was not sure about everyone else’s egg quality so I just created a recipe that used heat, just in case. The first time I made this I decided to serve the eggnog warm for several different reasons. One, it was cold as all get out outside and my home was not feeling much warmer inside. Two, because I was too excited to wait for it to cool off, I went straight to sippin’!
- 4 eggs, yolks and whites seperated
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar, keep 1 Tbsp to be used with egg whites
- 2½ cups full fat coconut milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Beat egg yolks using a stand mixer or hand mixer until they lighten in color.
- Mix in 2 Tbsp sugar
- Add coconut milk, vanilla extract and nutmeg, mix well
- Pour mixture into a medium saucepan, on medium low heat
- Add cinnamon stick to saucepan
- Whisk frequently while the mixture thickens
- When temperature reaches 160 degrees, or eggnog coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat
- Add bourbon and drink or chill
- Pour remaining egg whites and beat into soft peaks using stand mixer or hand mixer
- Slowly add remaining sugar.
- Fold egg whites into chilled mixture
- Serve!
The “for two” part can be losely translated to mean, “Go ahead, drink it all yourself”! Is eggnog on your holiday menu?
To a nourished life,
Natalie