re: (galactiboy's Cantina) "Where everybody knows your name..."
Think I'm going to whip up a batch of this tonight:
Fabulous Cooked Eggnog
1 cup of cream
1-1/2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
nutmeg as needed
4 eggs, separated (reserve two whites for another use; they freeze great)
2 ounces sugar (1/4 cup), plus 2 tablespoons for the meringue if you’re making that
12 ounces (or as much as tastes good!) rum, brandy, or bourbon
Combine the cream, 1 cup of the milk and vanilla bean in a pot, bring it to a simmer, then remove it from the heat. Add plenty of nutmeg shavings. Let the bean steep for 10 minutes, then removed the pod, scrape the inner beans out of the pod and return them to the milk
Combine the yolks and the sugar and whisk to combine. Whisking the yolks continuously, add the milk and cream.
Set a bowl big enough to contain the yolk-cream mixture in a larger bowl filled with a 50/50 mix of ice and water. Put a strainer in this bowl.
Return the yolk-cream mixture to the pot and stir it with a flat-edged spoon or heat-proof spatula over medium heat until the mixture thickens, a few minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon (you can take it as high as 165 degrees F./75 degrees C. if you want to measure). Poor it through the strainer into the bowl set in ice. Add the remaining milk and stir to combine and fully cool the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Optional: make a meringue by whipping 2 egg whites till frothy, then adding 2 tablespoons of sugar and whipping to very soft peaks (do this shortly before serving for the best consistency).
To complete:
Combine 4 ounces of eggnog with 2 ounces of rum, brandy, or bourbon; add more nutmeg to taste, then add ice, top with meringue as desired and more gratings of nutmeg.
This recipe should give you about 20 ounces of eggnog.
