Eggnog Recipe!
And an Enamel Pin update.
Hello Friends!
Last newsletter, I said I was working on a recipe that wasn’t quite ready yet. So let’s talk about that:
EGGNOG!!!
Brianna, my wife, is a fiend for eggnog, to the point it can become contentious. At least once a season, I have to remind her that we need space for other things on that shelf in the refrigerator, like milk. Or eggs. Or food of any kind.
But, because I’m a devoted husband who will go to absurd lengths to see her smile, I decided to look up how to make eggnog traditionally, and it is both easier and more complicated than I thought.
I’m going to give you the recipe I found and then include some mix in’s and improvements that I’ve made, but first, a word of warning. The recipe as presented is BOOZY, like absurdly so. It burns really hot and I would probably honestly recommend using a bit less alcohol than what the original calls for. Not a lot less for safety reasons (we are working with raw eggs), but maybe 80% of what’s listed.
Recipe:
1 cup cream (to be whipped)
1 cup additional cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Rum
1/2 cup Rye Whiskey (adjust booze to personal preference)
RECOMMENDED: 1 tbsp nutmeg, 1/4 cup cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Whip the first cup of cream until it’s nice and thick (but not super thick like cottage cheese). Then beat the eggs and slowly drizzle in the mixture of booze as you beat them. I really can’t stress this step enough, if you just pour in the alcohol without exciting the mixture, the alcohol will chemically cook the eggs and you will get boozy scrambled eggs, which you do not want. Mix in the sugar and unwhipped cream, then mix in the whipped cream and you’re done…almost.
AGE FOR THREE WEEKS IN THE FRIDGE
See, you can just drink it as is, but the real trick is to be patient. Put the eggnog in a container that doesn’t fully seal (gas exchange may cause pressure build up if you tightly seal the container, resulting in a messy, eggnog covered fridge interior) and let it sit for 3 weeks—this will allow the mixture to mature, thicken, and taste better, through a process that is highly chemical, but I prefer to think of as magic.
This recipe was developed by Dr. Rebecca Lancefield, a groundbreaking micro-biologist and longtime professor at Rockefeller University who used the process of making the eggnog both as a lesson for her graduate students in how ethanol acts as a preservative, and as a way to celebrate the end of the semester.
The cool thing about this recipe, beyond its history, is that it’s indefinitely stable. The high amount of alcohol prevents bacteria, fungus, or any living thing from existing, let alone growing in the eggnog, and that means you can take as long as you want to drink it. I’ve actually seen someone age this for 2 years and it’s basically the same as the 3 week version.
We tried it to the letter and found it good, but very harsh. Oddly, a little bit of nutmeg and cinnamon cut the heat of the alcohol a LOT, which is why I recommend mixing it in at the outset. Sprinkle on a little nutmeg as a garnish and it’s everything you could ask for in a winter cocktail!
Pintopia 2025 Update!
We launched our new Enamel Pin campaign to astounding success, hitting nearly 3 times our goal in the first 24 hours! That’s amazing, thank all of you who have backed the campaign so much for your support! As for everyone else, up until tomorrow at noon, we’re giving everyone free stuff as an early bird reward and we’re already knocking out stretch goals left and right, so if you like free stickers, shiny enamel pins, and refrigerator magnets, check it out!
Enjoy the eggnog and stay warm!
Wells Thompson