Eggnog

Recipe Description

Welcome to the ‘#HealthyEating’ series! #HealhyEating is launched to encourage everyone to love themselves and live a healthier life. In this quarter, we are sharing vegetarian and/or vegan western recipes, Eggnog. The traditional flavouring for eggnog is nutmeg, although some versions recommend mace, cinnamon, or a combination of these spices. I like to use a fresh nutmeg that I got from Penang, and I would grate it directly into the eggnog. Be sure to crack open the shell first and use only the soft core of the nutmeg seed.

Want more vegetarian or vegan recipes? Check out the ‘#HealthyEating’ recipe folder.

Nothing welcomes your guests as invitingly as eggnog as they come through your door during Christmas. It’s a tradition that hails back to medieval times when guests entering a house from the cold were treated with a noggin of hot spiced beverage of egg and milk spiked with copious amounts of spirits.

I had my first taste of eggnog when I was living in the United States, and I must admit I thought it tasted like a kid’s drink. It was sweet and milky and heavily spiced but because it was store-bought eggnog, it didn’t have any alcohol in it.

Only when I tasted homemade eggnog that I began to understand why it has so much heart-warming nostalgia attached to it. It’s rich and decadent, but nutritious and flavourful at the same time. It’s childishly cradled in a fun little cup, but has enough punch to put down an elephant.

The biggest concern in homemade eggnog is the use of raw eggs. Although this was not an issue when the sheer amount of alcohol killed all the bacteria, those who opted for alcohol-free eggnog would still be at risk of the presence of pathogens such as salmonella.

Modern recipes now call for the eggs to be cooked and the alcoholic eggnog to be kept refrigerated until ready to be served. Researchers have found that alcohol completely sterilized a heavily spirited eggnog when aged more than three weeks.

When using this recipe, make sure that the cream is scalded just before it comes to a boil, when it’s hot enough to kill the germs but not too hot that it will burn or curdle the eggs. Then gently drizzle the hot cream in a steady stream into the egg yolks as it is being whisked. The heat will cook the egg yolks while the whisking prevents it from curdling, creating a smooth sabayon for the eggnog.

To sterilize the egg whites, whisk the liquor into the meringue when it has reached the soft peak stage. Then fold the meringue into the sabayon and keep the eggnog covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I like this proportion of alcohol to the egg, sugar and cream mixture, but some people may prefer it a bit more boozy. You may add, perhaps, an additional half a cup of spirits, but I find that it gets more bitter with more liquor.

For me, the grated nutmeg is garnishing enough over the frothy eggnog, but you may like to add a cinnamon stick or a mini candy cane to make this welcoming drink a truly festive treat for your guests.

This recipe first appeared in The Star Online > Food