DIY Christmas Eggnog

With the exception of Quark's nephew on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", egg is my favourite type of nog. Popular during the winter holiday season, eggnog originated from an early medieval British drink called posset that was made with hot milk that was curdled with wine or ale and flavoured with spices. As the popularity of the drink spread, the spirits used in the drink changed depending on the availability, which is why rum and bourbon were included in recipes popular during the American Revolutionary War. While eggnog is readily available in the dairy section of your supermarket, for the days that's it's not in season, it's easy to make the drink yourself. However, take caution as it is a food that contains raw eggs (a health risk for people with weakened immune systems or who are pregnant) and alcohol (no need to overdo it with - don't drink and drive).

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.



Ingredients:

6 large eggs
950 mL whole milk
60 g sugar
5 mL vanilla extract
dash of ground nutmeg 

1. Wash and check your egg for any cracks or blemishes - if it seems suspect, throw it away, and find a better egg. Crack the eggs into a medium saucepan. Beat with the sugar until the colour of the egg lightens.
2. Add half of the milk and cook over low heat while stirring constantly. When the mixture (now basically a simple custard) starts to thicken up a bit and is able to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat.
3. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be around 71.1°C and the resting period will help give time to kill off a lot of the unwanted bacteria (but not all because of the relatively low heat and short waiting time, five minutes isn't long enough for the temperature to drop low enough for the bacteria to find the conditions favorable for reproduction).
4. Add the remaining milk to the mixture and stir in the vanilla extract and nutmeg. Chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Serve cold within 24 hours.