What’s the holiday season without eggnog? It’s like a snowman without his eyes of coal—Rudolf without his red nose—National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation without Chevy Chase.
But sipping on nog wasn’t always an integral American Christmas pastime. In fact, this rich and creamy festive drink was first enjoyed exclusively by British aristocracy when toasting to prosperity and good health. Cheerio, good chap! It wasn’t adopted by the US until the 1700’s. After that, the eggnog craze took off faster than Santa’s sleigh on jet fuel and has been a part of our holiday traditions ever since.
So in the spirit of the holiday season—and to celebrate National Eggnog Day, (it’s a thing!)—we present a handful of creative eggnog recipes. Stock up on the ingredients at your local Spec’s, and serve these up to your holiday guests, or enjoy them by yourself—whichever jingles your bells.
Kris Kringle’s Spiced Eggnog
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated, room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups milk or cream (will work with coconut, almond or cashew milk as well)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup rum or brandy (We recommend, Diplomatico rum)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon all spice
- ground nutmeg or cinnamon, for garnish
Directions
- Add the separated egg yolks and sugar to a blender and blend until a light creamy color, about 15 seconds.
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the spices and vanilla over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until steam begins to rise and the surface begins to bubble slightly, constantly stirring. Set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
- Add a little bit of spice milk mixture into the blender and blend to temper the egg, ensure the mixture isn’t too hot. Add the rest of the milk mixture and blend to combine.
- Return this mixture to the pan, add the alcohol, stir and heat for about 1 minute on medium heat. The eggnog should be frothy.
- Serve warm in small glasses with some nutmeg or cinnamon freshly grated on top.
Peppermint Eggnog Martini
Ingredients
- 1 shot vodka (we recommend, Khortytsa Platinum Vodka)
- 3 shots eggnog
- 1/2 tsp mint flavoring
- crushed candy cane
- honey
Directions
- Line the rim of the martini glass with honey around the circumference.
- Next, dip the martini glass into the crushed candy cane, covering it all the way around.
- Combine the eggnog, vodka and flavoring in a separate glass.
- Pour into the glass, avoiding the edges without disturbing the candy cane. Serve and enjoy!
Mexican Chocolate Eggnog
Ingredients
- 2 quarts whole milk, plus more if needed
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod reserved
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 12 egg yolks
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 3 ounces milk chocolate, melted
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cups brandy (optional)
- Whole nutmeg, for garnish
- Cayenne pepper, for sprinkling
- Mexican Churros
Directions
- Heat 2 quarts milk, the sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and pod, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is heated through. Remove from heat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
- Whisk yolks in a medium bowl until pale, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of milk mixture into yolks in a slow, steady stream. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture registers 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes. (Do not boil.)
- Remove pot from heat, add melted bittersweet and milk chocolates, and stir until incorporated. Discard vanilla pod and cinnamon sticks.
- Pour mixture into a large bowl set in ice-water bath, and let cool, stirring often.
- Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Pour cooled eggnog into a large serving bowl, and add brandy if using. (Add more milk to eggnog if necessary to reach desired consistency.)
- Top with whipped cream. Grate nutmeg over top, and sprinkle sparingly with cayenne. Serve immediately with churros on the side if desired.
That’s it for now. We hope you enjoy them, and cheers to you!
