MO'S ANCESTRAL EGGNOG

Wonderful eggnog

This wonderful formula was handed down to me from my grandmother, who got it from her mother and grandmother. I heartily recommend it as a superior lubricant for the festive season.

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1 lb confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups liquor
• 8 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1-2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar

Procedure

1. Separate the 12 eggs. Set the whites aside in the 'fridge, tightly covered for safety, as they won't be needed until much later.
2. Beat the yolks until they noticeably lighten in color. From here on out, an industrial-strength mixer (Kitchen-Aid K5, for instance) is a big help. [Being at my in-laws, I was forced to use a little GE hand mixer. It worked fine.]
3. Continue beating the yolks while adding the confectioner's sugar.
4. Beat for about 4 minutes or until the mixture turns much lighter yellow and takes on a satin-like texture.
5. While still beating, slowly add 2 cups liquor. [If you decide you need more, this is NOT where you put it in.]
6. After the liquor is thoroughly beaten in, cover the mixture with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let it stand for 1 hour at room temperature. This is to "cook" the eggs and takes much longer if you refrigerate. [I lay plastic wrap right down on top of the mixture to avoid any possible "skin" that might form.]
7. After standing, add the heavy whipping cream, unwhipped! You could try whipping it first, but again, you are on your own.
8. Add the nutmeg. \fBOPTION: At this point, the original recipe calls for adding an additional 2-4 cups of liquor, but I omitted this as it passed a taste-test as-is. If you want your 'Nog a LOT stronger, have at it, but please taste before you pour.
9. Mix thoroughly, again.
10. Refrigerate the mixture for 3 hours to let it ripen. I use two large juice containers. It splits nicely between them and will fit in our 'fridge. [Overnight is good, if you're making it for, say, Christmas day, but see the safety note below if you intend to let it sit overnight.]
11. At the end of the 3 hours, remember where you put the egg whites. Beat them until stiff but not dry, adding about 1/2 cup sugar to slightly sweeten the whites. N.B.: 12 egg whites whip into quite a mass, so be prepared. [You can also whip them 6 at a time. This is probably a very good idea if you're doing it in a Kitchenaid, since 12 might overflow the bowl.]
12. Assembly instructions. Pour the whites into the serving bowl you will be using. Then gently and slowly pour the other mixture into the bowl, mixing with a whisk to fold it all together. The whites should be smoothly and evenly distributed through the 'Nog to make it fluffy. They will lose some of their bulk so don't be afraid to mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the top with some more nutmeg, and serve. A shaker of nutmeg by the bowl is a nice touch for those wanting a shake on their own mugful. [The first time I made this recipe, I had to keep restirring the mixture. The only difference I can think of is that the second time I didn't add sugar to the egg whites.]

Notes

Powered sugar will do nicely, and even granulated would probably work if you beat long enough. [I'm not sure about the difference between confectioner's sugar and powdered sugar. Maybe they were different in the old days?!SWT] [Confectioner's sugar and powdered sugar are regional names for the same product!BKR]

For the liquor, use bourbon, rum, vodka, Canadian blended, or whatever you like. Being a bourbon fan, I used that in the batch for the CSAM party. The others should work but I haven't tried them. Depending on taste, you may want more than this. [I used rum the times I made it.]

[Note from the editor: eggwhites are extremely susceptible to bacterial infection. If you intend to make this eggnog ahead of time, to let it stand longer than the 3 hours suggested, do not store the separated eggwhites and then blend them in at the last moment. If you want perfection in overnight eggnog, then discard the whites from the separated eggs, and crack and separate 12 new eggs in the morning and use their whites. If you want economy in overnight eggnog, then fold the eggwhites into the alcohol mixture before storing it overnight.!BKR]

Rating

Contributor

 
Enjoy!!! 
-Mike O'Dell 
Arlington, Virginia 
Reposted and annotated by Spencer W. Thomas: 
 ({ihnp4,decvax}!utah-cs!thomas, thomas@utah-cs.ARPA) 
 Salt Lake City, Utah 
 

Original header

From: thomas@utah-gr (Spencer W. Thomas)
Newsgroups: mod.recipes
Subject: RECIPE: Mo's ancestral eggnog
Date: 10 Jan 86 03:45:49 GMT
Organization: University of Utah, Computer Science Dept.
Approved: reid@glacier.ARPA

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