Eggnog

Eggnog
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
no cooking required
Serve
Serves 12

This deliciously creamy eggnog recipe is a little taste of Christmas history. George Washington, the first American president, even made his own eggnog, and is very clear about ageing it for a few days to let the flavour mellow.

By Emily Angle

Shopping list

Ingredients

  • 6 medium free-range eggs (preferably organic and as fresh as possible), separated
  • 150g/5½oz golden caster sugar
  • 500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk
  • 400ml/14fl oz double cream
  • 350ml/12fl oz rum, bourbon or a mixture of the two, depending on your preference
  • freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Recipe tips

Method

  1. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with 100g/3½oz of the caster sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick (this is best done with an electric handheld mixer).

  2. Stir in the milk, double cream, and the rum and/or bourbon. You can add a little grated nutmeg as well, if you like your egg nog this way.

  3. Pour the mixture into two 750ml/1½ pint bottles with stoppers and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. (The alcohol will prevent any spoilage of the eggs or cream.)

  4. Put the egg whites in an air-tight container and freeze until you're ready to serve the egg nog.

  5. When ready to serve, defrost the egg whites in a clean metal or glass bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy and opaque. Add the remaining 50g/1¾oz of sugar and whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.

  6. Pour the egg nog from the bottles into a large bowl and fold in the egg whites until well combined. Ladle the egg nog into glass tumblers and serve with a little freshly grated nutmeg over the top of each glass.

Recipe tips

If you are worried about egg safety, use pasteurised egg whites. These are available in cartons from large supermarkets, typically in the chiller aisle near the dairy products.