Living somewhere foreign is an excellent way to challenge yourself to make more foods from scratch. While living in Japan, I missed North American food so very much (though I definitely like Japanese food as well). At times, I went to great lengths to make something that tasted like home.
Like the time I made my own wheat-free lasagna noodles because I was 10 weeks pregnant and craving lasagna like nobody’s business. Or my attempt to re-create a Thanksgiving “turkey” by covering up a mound of stuffing with slices of chicken breast, then wrapping with foil and baking (the answer is a resounding NO, it didn’t work, but at least I thought it was a valiant effort to make up for the unavailability of whole chickens/turkeys for roasting).
My most successful recreation attempt, however, was for that undeniably delicious and oh-so-Christmas-sy of drinks, egg nog. My husband hasn’t stopped talking about it in nearly 6 years, so I guess it must have made an impression! We wanted to surprise our Japanese friends, so we threw a Christmas party in our itsy bitsy apartment and made them goodies like chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, apple cider, and the belle of the ball, egg nog. Here’s the recipe:
Homemade Egg Nog Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 beaten egg yolks free range is best
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk raw, if available
- 1/3 cup unrefined sugar like Rapadura or Sucanat (I bet Coconut/Palm sugar would also work, though I haven't tried it)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup whipping cream avoid ultra-pasteurized
- 2 Tbsp unrefined sugar or 1 Tbsp honey, or a few drops or maybe 1/2 packet of Stevia (just enough to add a touch of sweetness)
- Ground nutmeg
Instructions
(Note: You may want to begin the recipe the day before you want the egg nog- it's an easy recipe, but does need time to chill properly)
- In a medium pot, mix the egg yolks, milk and the 1/3 cup sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just coats a metal spoon (see photo). Remove from heat. Place pot in a sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes to cool mixture off a little. Stir in vanilla. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.
- When you're ready to serve: Beat the whipping cream and 2 Tbsp of sugar (or sugar alternative) until soft peaks form.
- Transfer the chilled egg/milk/sugar mixture to a punch bowl. Fold in the whipped cream. Serve immediately. Sprinkle each serving with nutmeg. If you find it a little too thick or too sweet, simply stir in a bit of milk to thin it out.
Notes
You’ll never want to go back to the store bought variety again, and with lots of nourishing ingredients like eggs and raw milk, egg nog can actually be a legitimate once-in-a-while treat! Wondering about the whole issue of too many fats? See why my family liberally eats of good, whole fat foods, and yes, even saturated fats.
Stephanie
December 8, 2009 at 3:27 AMThis is so exciting! My children love eggnog but I hesitate to buy it because of all the junk and sugar that is in it. They will be so happy to know I can make it at home!
Shannon
December 8, 2009 at 4:29 AMI made some homemade egg nog (minus the whipped cream) a few weeks ago using NuNaturals brand stevia. It worked really well and was just barely sweet, just the way we like it. I think I will try your recipe using stevia because it looks a lot thicker than what I made. Yum!
Emily
December 8, 2009 at 5:42 AMThis looks delicious! Most of the healthy egg nog recipes I’ve seen lately use raw eggs in the finished product, and since we don’t have access to pastured eggs, I’d rather not go that route, especially since I am pregnant. I will definitely be trying this recipe when I can get my hands on some quality whipping cream!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..Cheesy Spinach & Artichoke Dip =-.
sabrina
December 8, 2009 at 7:13 AMThis recipe looks so yummy, but is it safe during pregnancy since you cook the eggs on the stove?
Thanks!
Jennifer B
December 8, 2009 at 7:30 AMI learned to make flour tortillas and fresh salsa by hand when I was living in Japan because I couldn’t find them.
And I never did find water chestnuts to add to my stir fry. When I was asking a Japanese friend about them, we looked up the word in a huge dictionary. They took a look at the picture of the plant, the explanation in Japanese and then said “you really eat that stuff?” Funny how American Chinese and Japanese Chinese are so completely different from each other.
And I organized a complete Turkey Christmas dinner for my expat friends one year too! We had a friend who owned a restaurant and he special ordered two 3 kg turkeys for us. No room to make stuffing in the birds or alongside in the mini oven we had available, but I faked it on stovetop with a wok. Tasted OK!
Thanks for the memories!
Ellie
December 8, 2009 at 12:23 PMThis recipe looks very delicious. I’m going to make sure to use pasteurized eggs so I can be sure that my kids are safe.
Jennifer Tankersley
December 8, 2009 at 4:58 PMMy children and I love egg nog, but I usually buy it form the store. I have been feeling so bad about the fact that it is laden with high fructose corn syrup and have been wanting to look for a homemade recipe. The kids will be so excited about this! Thanks for sharing!!
Jen
Sharon
December 8, 2009 at 10:14 PMAt the store I usually shop at, only ultra pasturized whipping cream or half and half are available. Where do get whipping cream that is not ultra pasturized?
Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home
December 9, 2009 at 8:37 AM@Sharon, I think this is a bigger problem in the US than in Canada. I’ve seen lots of ultra-pasteurized when I go shopping there. You might just need to check another store. There are definitely still options out there, but I couldn’t tell you which brands.
Petra
December 18, 2010 at 4:17 PMIf you have a Trader Joe near you, their whipping cream is NOT ultra pasturized and is rBST free.
Kendra at New Life on a Homestead
December 9, 2009 at 6:31 PMOooooh! Yummy!!! I have got to try this 🙂 What a great way to save money on a delicious holiday treat!
CcsMomma
December 24, 2009 at 9:56 AMMaking it now for our Christmas celebration. Looks good! I usually buy it but just don’t like all the artificial ingredients in it! I’m sure we’ll love this homemade version! (i’ve linked to you on my blog)
CcsMomma
December 26, 2009 at 7:00 PMTried it…YUM! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Laura
April 19, 2010 at 3:21 AMHi really enjoyed reading your post keep it coming.
Laura
Robin
November 2, 2010 at 2:22 PMMy husband just asked for egg nog the other day!! I think a just-home-from-work-surprise is in order!! How fun!
Sarah W.
November 3, 2010 at 9:26 PMI also make homemade eggnog (even just tonight!), which is why I checked out your recipe. My mother taught us; making it by frothing the egg whites first and adding cream and sugar. The yolks are whisked separately with sugar and then all is blended together with vanilla and milk. No cooking, and with quality ingredients, it’s the bomb. 🙂
renee
December 14, 2010 at 6:28 PM@Sarah W.,
renee
December 14, 2010 at 6:32 PMSarah, i’d prefer to make it the way you do since it’s actually healthier to be eating the eggs raw without cooking and i’d like to use the whites, too. I’m fortunate enough to be able to use raw milk and i’ll use the cream that settles to the top instead of whipping cream. Anyway, what amounts of the ingredients do you use? Thanks! Renee
Kim
December 9, 2010 at 4:52 PMI saw this on allrecipes.com and made it last week. However, the whipped part would not stay incorporated with the milk part. And, it just tasted like liquid vanilla ice cream, not egg nog.
Jen
December 11, 2010 at 6:00 AM@Kim,
I sometimes mix all of it together briefly in the blender, which is what I use for whipping the cream too and that seems to help it stay together better.
Mine saves well, usually doesn’t last more then a couple days but I can give it a good shake and serve it out of the fridge