Homemade Egg Nog…

Once a year, the holidays come and people indulge in fattening, rich foods.  One such treat is egg nog.  I’m not talking about carton egg nog…ugh.  I mean REAL egg nog.  Last year was the first time I made egg nog from scratch and I’m never going back.  Fresh nog is smooth and tasty and not filled with artificial ingredients.

There’s nothing quite like slowly sipping a creamy treat spiked with liquor.  Oh yes friends, liquour.  The reason holiday dinners with “that” cousin go smoothly is because of this little liquid buddy.

I made one gallon of this stuff and it went faster than you could say Christmas Fruitcake (ugh).

Homemade Egg Nog

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 whole cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup cream
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 t vanilla extract
2 T each of bourbon whiskey and rum

In a bowl, beat yolks until they lighten.  Slowly beat in sugar and whisk until fluffy.

Combine milk, cinnamon and cloves in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Slowly heat mixture on medium heat until it is steaming hot, but not boiling.

Temper the eggs by adding a little of the milk mixture and whisk it in quickly.  Keep doing it until the eggs heat up and then pour it back into the saucepan.

Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  If you have a candy thermometer, cook until it reaches 160 F.  Don’t allow it to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in cream.  Strain out the cloves and let cool for an hour.

Mix in vanilla extract, nutmeg and liqour.  Chill and enjoy

Here is the cake my sister made for me for my birthday.  Its a 1965 Ford Mustang (yesssss!)

And after the fender bender…

Guinness frosting and Guinness fondit made this cake yummy.

*next up…a visit to Cafe Miro…*