Eggnog

Since it's the holiday season, eggnog has been sold in many supermarkets. I've heard so much about the drink but I've never actually tasted it so I did some research. There are two types of eggnog: an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic version. Likewise, there are recipes that yield a drink with raw eggs and one with cooked eggs. I compared many recipes and made some adaptations to form this recipe:

Non-alcoholic Eggnog (cooked eggs) 

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar*

4 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup half-and-half

1. Beat the eggs and sugar in a heat-proof bowl while heating milk in a pan on medium/high heat. 

2. Stir the milk as it heats until it begins to boil (milk will be foamy when it's close to boiling)

3. When the milk begins to boil, slowly whisk about 1/4 of the milk into the egg and sugar mixture. (the process is similar to making custard) 

4. Pour the egg/sugar/milk mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and heat on medium/low heat until the mixture thickens. (this will take only a few minutes)

5. Take the liquid off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. 

6. Stir the half-and-half and nutmeg into the mixture. 

7. Store in the refrigerator for around 4 hours or overnight before serving. 

*You can use more sugar if you want a sweeter eggnog but 1/4 cup was sweet enough for me.

Note: Some alcoholic versions of eggnog contain rum and if you like the fragrance it gives to the drink but don't want to add alcohol, you can add 1 to 2 tsp of rum extract into the mixture. 

As it was my first time tasting eggnog, the drink reminds me of custard but in liquid form. I wonder how different store-brought eggnog tastes from this though...

This morning, I had a glass of eggnog with two slices of toast topped with bananas and chopped toasted pecans.

A simple and easy breakfast, definitely try it out. The soft banana slices with the crisp toast and crunchy pecans are a great combination.