HOMEMADE EGG NOG
I'm not sure if I've ever posted this before? We're about to do our big family Christmas party this Saturday, and that means HOMEMADE EGG NOG. From the time she was a little girl, my i s c & a aggie wife's big German family always gathered at her Great Uncle George's house on Christmas afternoon for cookies and eggnog, after opening presents and having Christmas dinner (lunch) at their own various houses. Even the kids were allowed some small cups, although it's quite boozy.
I should preface by saying that I always hated-- and I mean absolutely despised-- egg nog as a kid. So when my wife told me she had a great family nog recipe, I just sort of nodded and smiled and humored her by trying it. And I was completely blown away. There's just no comparison between fresh homemade egg nog and the storebought stuff. So now I love egg nog, but only homemade. And our annual Christmas party is officially known as "A Toast To George" in memory of her Great Uncle George, his egg nog recipe, and the family and fellowship that my wife's family grew up with. Anyway, here's the recipe:
24 eggs
2 3/4 cup sugar
1.5 pints heavy cream
2 quarts light cream
1 fifth bourbon (~750ml)
1 cup dark rum or to taste
1) Using stand mixer, cream egg yolks with sugar. Add whiskey. Pour into large container.
2) Whip cream, pour into same container and stir.
3) Whip egg whites, pour into same container, blend with other liquids already in there.
4) Stir in rum to taste
5) Keep chilled while serving, we usually place our punch bowl in a wide glass serving dish with ice in it.
When my wife makes this, she generally has to do a couple of batches each in the stand mixer for the cream and the egg whites. She also uses a (well-cleaned and sterilized) medium-sized kitchen trash can for all the ingredients, and then pours into gallon containers and keeps refrigerated for a day before our party. She usually at least doubles the above recipe though, so YMMV on size of batches and size of containers.
If you're nervous about raw eggs, you can buy already-heat-pasteurized eggs at most markets, or you can actually do it yourself at home and save some bucks. We've done both and have never noticed any difference in texture or flavor.