Egg Nog Three Ways

So I may have mentioned this before, but I have some food addiction problems.  One of them is a terrible addiction to egg nog.

Stacy and I often joke that if egg nog was in stores year round, I’d weigh 400 pounds. I chug the stuff, drink it by the quart and still desire more. Yes, I’m aware that this is no good for anyone, least of all me.

But that stuff is really great. So much so, we want to use it in everything.

Today, we present to you a TRIO of recipes using a simple dairy-free egg nog recipe.

You’re welcome.

So, why not make my own?

It’s not that hard and it lets me avoid all of that addictive, inflammatory, sugary-laden dairy. Which leads to the classic question: do you cook it? The answer is, “Heck no, but I understand it if you want to anyway.”

So much is made of the risk of salmonella without much understanding of the actual risk. According to this study, about 1 in 20,000 (industrial) eggs is infected with salmonella. If you get salmonella, 95% of all cases of salmonella require no medical attention and only .05% result in death, and those mainly in at-risk populations (infants, elderly, immune compromised). So, weigh the risks here. It is highly unlikely that you will get sick from drinking raw egg nog. But if you want to cook it, you won’t be losing much (flavor) except some extra time.

So I’ll teach you how to make it in the raw way, then I’ll teach you how to make it in such a way that there will be no risk of infection. Good deal?

Also, a word about nutmeg, the spice that launched a thousand ships. For this application, I strongly recommend you use whole nutmeg seeds and grate them into your egg nog stuffs. Just use the micro plane you should already own – it’s very simple but so worth it.

Dairy-Free Egg Nog, Raw Style

Ingredients

2 C canned full-fat coconut milk
2 C vanilla almond milk (or boxed or canned light coconut milk)
4 egg yolks (pastured farm-fresh eggs preferred)
1/2 C maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg (recommend freshly grated)
1/8 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

  1. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients.
  2. Process on high speed for 2 minutes until egg yolks are fully incorporated.
  3. Serve chilled, potentially with “liquid courage” (spiced rum and bourbon are our favorites) and of course more fresh nutmeg on top.

I realize Alton Brown’s classic method includes egg whites. But, since Stacy can’t eat them and they’re not really adding much value to the nog, we choose this more dense, rich version.

Dairy-Free Egg Nog, Cooked Style

Ingredients

2 C canned full-fat coconut milk
2 C vanilla almond milk (or boxed or canned light coconut milk)
1/2 C maple syrup
4 egg yolks
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 allspice berries
1 tsp ground nutmeg (recommend freshly grated)

Instruction

  1. In a large sauce pan, warm milks and maple syrup with cinnamon, cloves and allspice over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium clean mixing bowl whip egg yolks until evenly light yellow.
  3. While whisking constantly, iteratively spoon about 2 cups of warmed milk into the egg yolks. This will temper the egg so that it doesn’t scramble when it hits the heat.
  4. Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the milks and whisk to combine.
  5. Continue to heat for another 5 minutes, but do not boil! Boiling will curdle the whole think. In fact, don’t heat above the pasteurization temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit – I used a candy thermometer to maintain the temperature.
  6. Remove from heat and strain out whole spices. Whisk in nutmeg.
  7. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Top with a dash of freshly grated nutmeg upon serving.

 

Now that’s some delicious stuff! But you know what? That’s not good enough for me. I want to make this better and more special. For you. Want an easy way to really impress people? Make egg nog frozen custard (also known as ice cream with eggs)!

After all, egg nog is essentially an uncooked egg custard. Why not turn it into a creamy, dreamy frozen custard?

Frozen Egg Nog Cream

Ingredients

1 quart prepared egg nog (above)

Instructions

  1. Turn on your ice cream maker and churn chilled egg nog for 20 minutes.
  2. Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container and freeze for at least fifteen minutes before serving.
  3. Serve with some grated nutmeg and you have a perfect frozen dessert!

 

But with this leftover egg nog, I felt there was one more variation I could do make it extra special. Why not make an egg nog cookie?

These are based off of this recipe, by the way. If you haven’t made that, you should. It’s one of our most popular recipes and completely allergen-friendly, perfect for any occasion!

Egg Nog Macaroons

Ingredients

3 C coconut flakes
1 C coconut cream concentrate
1/2 C egg nog
2 egg yolks
1 tsp nutmeg

Optional: 1 tsp finely grated salt and freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients by hand until incorporated.
  2. Form into balls an inch in diameter and flatten on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges turn golden brown.
  4. Optional: If you want to kick this up a knotch, sprinkle salt and fresh nutmeg onto cookies while warm and fresh out of the oven.
  5. Allow to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

So there you have it! Enough egg nog recipes to sustain your holiday cravings. We chowed down on all of these treats at our holiday meet up this afternoon. The food brought by the guests was all superb, as usual!

What are you going to do with your egg nog? Let us know, so we can do it too. Because you knows I’m always looking for more ways to consume this stuff!

 

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