Mo's Ancestral Eggnog
Submitted by hacker2001
Old-fashioned homemade eggnog with separated eggs, powdered sugar, rum, and heavy cream, lightened by stiff-beaten egg whites and dusted with nutmeg. A rich, fluffy holiday punch bowl recipe.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
0 minREADY
4 hrsThis is the eggnog your grandmother made before cartons existed. Twelve eggs, powdered sugar, rum, heavy cream, and freshly grated nutmeg. Nothing else.
The technique is what sets this apart from store-bought slosh. The rum-and-yolk mixture sits covered for a full hour at room temperature, which mellows the raw egg flavor as the alcohol works on the proteins. Then the whole thing rests in the fridge for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, so the flavors marry into something silky and smooth.
The stiff-beaten egg whites folded in at the end are the secret to that cloud-like texture. They turn what would be a heavy custard into a fluffy, spoonable holiday drink that mounds in the cup.
Don’t add sugar to the whipping whites if you want the maximum suspension effect. The first batch will whip without it; the result holds shape better in the punch bowl.
Pro Tips
- Use the freshest eggs you can find. Older whites won’t whip as high.
- Grate whole nutmeg fresh over each cup. The pre-ground stuff loses half its perfume sitting on the shelf.
- A shaker of nutmeg next to the bowl lets guests adjust to their own taste.
- Whip the whites in two batches if your mixer bowl is small. Twelve whites make an enormous foam.
Variations
- Swap rum for bourbon, brandy, or a 50/50 split for a deeper, oakier nog.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a splash of sherry to the yolk mixture for more aromatic complexity.
- For a kid-friendly bowl, omit the alcohol and add an extra teaspoon of vanilla plus a splash of milk to thin.
Ingredients
Directions
Separate the 12 eggs.
Set the whites aside in the fridge, tightly covered for safety, as they won’t be needed until much later.
Beat the yolks until they noticeably lighten in color.
From here on out, an industrial -strength mixer is a big help.
Continue beating the yolks while adding the confectioner’s sugar.
Beat for about 4 minutes or until the mixture turns much lighter yellow and takes on a satin-like texture.
While still beating, slowly add about 2 cups liquor.
*If you decide you need more, this is NOT where you put it in.
After the liquor is thoroughly beaten in, cover the mixture with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let it stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
This is to cook the eggs and takes much longer if you refrigerate.
I lay plastic wrap right down on top of the mixture to avoid any possible skin that might form.
After standing, add the heavy whipping cream (unwhipped). You could try whipping it first, but again, you are on your own.
Add the nutmeg.
OPTION:
At this point, the original recipe calls for adding an additional 2 -4 cups of liquor, but I omitted this as it passed a taste test as-is.
Mix thoroughly, again.
Refrigerate the mixture for at least 3 hours to let it ripen.
Overnight is good, if you’re making it for, say, Christmas day, but see the safety note below if you intend to let it sit overnight.
At the end of the 3 hours, beat reserved egg whites until stiff but not dry, adding about ½ cup sugar to slightly sweeten the whites.
NOTE: 12 egg whites whip into quite a mass, so be prepared.
You can also whip them 6 at a time. This is probably a very good idea if you’re affraid your bowl may overflow.
Pour the whites into the serving bowl you will be using.
Then gently and slowly pour the other mixture into the bowl, mixing with a whisk to fold it all together.
The whites should be smoothly and evenly distributed through the Nog to make it fluffy.
They will lose some of their bulk so don’t be afraid to mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle the top with some more nutmeg, and serve.
A shaker of nutmeg by the bowl is a nice touch for those wanting a shake on their own mugful.
The first time I made this recipe, I had to keep re-stirring the mixture.
The only difference I can think of is that the second time I didn’t add sugar to the egg whites.
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