Egg Nog

Mr. Boston’s Official Bartender’s and Party Guide (64th Edition) (Warner Books, 1994) has this to say on the subject of egg nog.

Eggnog can be made from scratch, but since those recipes use raw eggs, which may carry the risk of salmonella poisoning, only recipes using commercially prepared eggnog are included here.

And so they have a whole section containing recipes which basically consist of “add [spirit] to any old egg nog you find in the store.” The current edition is somewhat better.

I like egg nog, but I find the commercial preparations to be far too thick and sweet for my taste these days. Besides there’s no fun in buying a quart of something and tossing some rum in it. This year, I’ll make my own.

There are two recipes that I’ve had my eye on. One, Bourbon Eggnog from Imbibe Magazine, I haven’t made yet. The other, Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Egg Nog, I made tonight. While this is the very first egg nog I’ve made from scratch, it’s also the best egg nog I’ve ever tasted.

Mr. Morgenthaler notes that his recipe serves two, so I halved it to serve one. I substituted half and half for the milk and cream because, according to the ingredients list on the half and half I have, it contains “Milk, Cream.”

Egg Nog

  • 1 egg
  • 3 TBsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 oz. brandy
  • 1 oz. rum
  • 5 oz. Half and Half

Combine the half and half, brandy, rum, and nutmeg in a measuring glass. Beat the egg in a blender for one minute. Let the blender continue to run, and slowly add sugar. Wait a minute. Add the contents of the measuring glass and blend until combined. Set in the refrigerator to chill and to let the flavors combine. Serve in a coupe, a punch cup, or a old fashioned glass as suits the occasion. Garnish with grated nutmeg. The glass will determine, to an extent, the serving size.

If you’re bad at multiplication, you can also find this recipe in The New York Times, either on-line or in The Essential New York Times Cookbook, as Blender Eggnog.