If you didn’t make eggnog for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, it’s not too late. I saved a half-dozen farm-raised organic eggs for a post-holiday eggnog. It’s a celebratory pick-me-up that will brighten even the dreariest mid-winter day.
My erstwhile neighbor Janet Morgan’s mom provided this recipe, which is unsurpassed (and likely unsurpassable, IMHO). It bears almost no resemblance to store-bought eggnog. It even puts most homemade eggnog to shame.
To make it dairy-free, I swapped out the heavy cream for whipped coconut cream, yet this eggnog remains divine. I replaced refined sugar with monkfruit/erythritol and coconut sugar, which gives the eggnog a darker color, but it’s just as sweet. A little vanilla masks the flavor of the coconut cream.
We’re not drinkers in my family, but I make an exception for this treat. Janet puts an entire cup of bourbon in the nog, but I only use half that amount, and it still packs plenty of kick. I leave out the bourbon for the underage crowd, but it’s not nearly as delicious. Make it, and keep it in the fridge overnight for maximum flavor.
I have only one bowl for my stand mixer, so I put it in the fridge, along with the beater, for a few hours before whipping the egg whites, which whip better when bowl and beater are cold. Make sure the bowl is clean and dry. Egg whites don’t fluff well with water in the bowl. The coconut cream isn’t as fussy, so I pour the egg whites out into a separate bowl, then beat the coconut cream in the same stand mixer bowl.
Use the best eggs you can find for this recipe because they’re not cooked. I buy organic, free-range eggs from a farmer whose chickens live outdoors and eat bugs and grain and whatever they can scratch from the ground. The yolks from the eggs her chickens lay are a rich dark yellow. My organic supermarket carries free-range organic eggs from another local farmer. The eggs are expensive in the winter, but worth it to make this superb eggnog.
This thick, rich, delicious eggnog is a great post-holiday pick-me-up for the doldrums of mid-winter. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the sweeteners. Stir in the dairy-free milk, bourbon and nutmeg. Set aside. Using a stand mixer, whip the egg whites with the vanilla until they form stiff peaks. Pour into a large bowl. Put the coconut cream and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip until fluffy. Fold the egg/sugar mixture into the coconut cream. Gently fold in the egg whites using a spatula. Pour into a glass container and refrigerate for at least four hours. Overnight is better. Serve in chilled glasses with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top. Coconut cream is the thick stuff that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk when you leave it in the fridge overnight. Save the thin coconut water to use in baking, soups or smoothies. Two cans will yield about two cups of coconut cream. Post-Holiday Eggnog
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Whisk the egg yolks together.
Whisk in the coconut sugar…
…and the monkfruit/erythritol. Stir in the dairy-free milk, bourbon and nutmeg.
Use a stand mixer to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
If you don’t have a second bowl for your stand mixer, pour the egg whites into a separate bowl.
Put the coconut cream and vanilla into the bowl of the stand mixer, and beat until fluffy.
Stir in the egg yolk mixture.
Gently fold in the egg whites with a spatula. The mixture will be lumpy.
Pour the eggnog into a glass container, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, pour into chilled glasses, spritz with nutmeg and serve.
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