Eggnog

Hey, all you eggnog lovers out there! Take a moment, go to your refrigerators and pull out your carton of eggnog. Look at the ingredients. You'll probably see a bunch of additives, additions to make the eggnog thicker...unfortunately, many of these things were produced in a lab. I don't know about you, but I don't want to eat that stuff, or drink it for that matter. But I love eggnog. And making eggnog lattes is like a Christmas tradition! So, I decided to make my own eggnog this year. I turned to good old AB (Alton Brown) to see what he had to say on the subject. He offers two different recipes, one that is cooked and one that is not. I opted for the non-cooked one as it seems a bit more traditional, and I whipped up a batch tonight. (For those of you concerned about uncooked eggs, you could go for the cooked version.) Words can't really describe how good this eggnog is. It is, hands down, the best eggnog I've ever had, and it has me wondering why it took me this many years to make my own. Best of all, it has only the ingredients I put in it and nothing produced in a lab. So, put down that carton, pick up a whisk and make your own eggnog...you won't regret it!!

Eggnog (inspired by Alton Brown)
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 & 3/4 cups nonfat milk
1/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream and nutmeg and stir to combine.

2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

3. Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.