Step #1: Raid your liquor cabinet wisely (or head to your local bottle shop). – While brandy is the most traditional alcohol to add in for eggnog, according to traditional recipes, you can also use a mixture of dark rum and Cognac. If you like your eggnog a little more boozy, you can also add bourbon, but we recommend sticking to rum and Cognac to preserve the ‘nog’s flavors.
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Does eggnog have whiskey or rum?
1. Be Economical – Eggnog is typically made with rum, brandy or bourbon, and Brown likes to start with a combination of dark rum and cognac. But there’s no need to go premium; he recommends using an affordable, high-proof VS cognac. The higher alcohol level will cut through the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. After all, “Eggnog is not ice cream,” he says.
What is a sweet alcohol for eggnog?
Brandy: Makes the Most Traditional Eggnog – For the most traditional holiday experience, reach for brandy (specifically, Cognac) to spike your ‘nog. It’s important to note, though, that both brandy and eggnog are quite sweet. Combining them will produce something that someone with a sweet tooth will love, but that others may find cloying. Proceed with caution.
Is eggnog better with rum or brandy?
Eggnog is most often spiked with either brandy, rum, or whiskey, but which liquor makes the best eggnog? The only way to find out is to make eggnog and taste the three options side-by-side. Of course, this will be a matter of personal opinion, but the conclusion from this test is that brandy is the most suitable choice for eggnog.
- Each of the three spirits has its own flavor profile and makes an excellent addition to the creamy, sweet, comforting taste of eggnog.
- And yet, there is something special about brandy that makes it stand out.
- Rum was a very close runner-up in this eggnog showdown.
- What’s most interesting is that brandy and rum are the traditional choices for eggnog, having made an appearance in the holiday drink for a few centuries.
While we may lean toward the classic taste, there are many liquors in the world and a lot of eggnog to drink. One style or brand of whiskey may really impress your taste buds, and tequila and vodka are not out of the question. With a flurry of eggnog recipes to explore, discovering the best eggnog pairings is a nearly endless (and quite enjoyable) pursuit.
Is eggnog always with alcohol?
Does eggnog actually contain eggs ? – Traditionally, yes. However, today’s supermarket eggnogs, which are regulated by the FDA, contain very little egg, and certainly do not contain alcohol. For those looking to get a taste of the original beverage, a homemade recipe will likely come closest to the original thing, which consisted of milk, egg, and plenty of alcohol.
Can toddler drink eggnog?
Can Babies Have Eggnog? 
Eggnog,, and other beloved milk punches of the world have been enjoyed at celebrations for centuries. Naturally, this time-honored tradition is one that many caregivers look forward to sharing with children. But eggnog doesn’t quite fit the bill for a baby-friendly drink thanks to its raw eggs, high sugar content, and optional alcohol.
- So how about for toddlers? Let’s dig in.
- After 12 months of age, if the eggnog is pasteurized and free of alcohol.
- While we generally recommend waiting until age 2 to introduce sugar into a toddler’s diet, a small taste of pasteurized, alcohol-free eggnog on a special occasion after a child’s first birthday is just fine.
Babies under 12 months of age should not be given eggnog, or any drink other than breast/human milk, formula, or small amounts of, For more on when babies can have cow’s milk, see our, Eggnog recipes typically feature whole, heavy cream, raw,, spices (such as, nutmeg, and cloves), vanilla extract, and hard liquor (like brandy, rum, or bourbon).
If the child is 12 months of age or older, and if the eggnog is pasteurized and alcohol-free, yes. Before purchasing, just look at the ingredients list to make sure both the eggs and milk used are pasteurized and that there are no alcoholic ingredients (rum, etc.) Vanilla extract is fine. Yes. While you may have heard that nutmeg can be harmful, nutmeg is recognized as safe by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, when used in small amounts for culinary purposes. When it comes to eggnog, the amounts of nutmeg and other spices used are generally small and safe for young children. Just remember that babies under 12 months of age should not have any drink other than breast/human milk, formula, or small amounts of water.
- No. Raw milk is not safe for babies or toddlers.
- Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and contaminants that can lead to foodborne illnesses, which can be severe or even fatal.
- Pasteurized milk and milk products, on the other hand, have been heated to high temperatures to kill off unfriendly germs, making the milk or milk product safe for consumption.
If the eggs are fully cooked in the preparation, yes. See our recipe below. Raw or undercooked eggs pose an increased risk of Salmonella, a common bacterium that can lead to foodborne illness and symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Children under the age of 5 are especially susceptible, since their immune systems are still developing.
- For this reason, avoid eggnog featuring raw eggs.
- If you’re concerned about sugar and are making your own eggnog, you can certainly modify the recipe to feature less sugar.
- That said, try not to view the holidays as a time where you need to dramatically alter your family’s traditions and dietary habits.
While we generally recommend waiting until age 2 to introduce sugar into a toddler’s diet, small tastes of pasteurized, alcohol-free eggnog during a family celebration after a baby’s first birthday is just fine. Any type of eggnog that’s been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours (which can happen easily at a family party) is not safe for anyone to consume, due to the possibility of bacterial growth and the heightened risk of foodborne illness. 
- Yield: 6 cups (1 ½ liters)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes + overnight chill
- Age: 12 months+
- Ingredients:
- 6 large
- 4 cups (1 liter) whole
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters)
- ¼ teaspoon (½ gram) kosher
- 1 stick (optional)
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) whipped cream per person (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon (½ gram) nutmeg (optional)
This recipe contains common allergens: dairy (whole milk, whipped cream) and egg. Only serve to a child after these allergens have been, Directions:
- This is a good recipe to make when the kids are sleeping. Read Step 5 to learn why!
- To begin, grab a kitchen thermometer and a heavy-bottomed saucepan, which helps evenly distribute heat on the stovetop and keep the eggs from scrambling. If you don’t have these tools, just cook on the lowest heat setting and make sure to stir consistently. See video for a manual trick to test for doneness.
- Whisk the eggs, half of the milk, maple syrup, and salt until smooth. Make sure the egg whites and yolks are fully combined with no remaining streaks of egg white. Go ahead and use a non-dairy milk if you like; just be sure to select one with ingredients that have been,
- Add the cinnamon stick. This step is optional. You can skip the spice or use whatever spices that you like—allspice, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg are all delicious!
- Place the saucepan on low heat and cook, stirring consistently with a whisk, until the mixture thickens. This process takes time, between 15 and 30 minutes depending on your stovetop, and unfortunately, there is no way to rush it. Warming the mixture over higher heat curdles the eggs. It’s also best to stay at the stovetop, whisking consistently and pushing the whisk to the edges of the saucepan so that the eggs do not scramble.
- Keep a close eye on the eggnog and do not let it simmer or boil—keep whisking to prevent the eggs from scrambling. The eggnog is ready when the mixture coats the back of a spoon and running your finger over the spoon leaves a trail. To test that the eggs are safely cooked, use a kitchen thermometer to check that the mixture has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius).
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Whisk the remaining milk into the eggnog. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer the mixture to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator. Eggnog tastes best after a day or two of rest.
- When you are ready to serve, pour a small amount (under ¼ cup / 60 milliliters) into a child-friendly open cup and scoop a dollop or two of whipped cream on top.
- Pour yourself some eggnog, and if you like, spike it with brandy or rum.
- Serve the eggnog and if you like, invite the child to garnish the drinks with a pinch of nutmeg. Drink alongside your child to model how it’s done!
- To Store: Homemade Eggnog to Share with Toddlers keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Reviewed by:
- V. Kalami, MNSP, RD, CSP
Dr.R. Ruiz, MD, FAAP. Board-Certified General Pediatrician & Pediatric Gastroenterologist : Can Babies Have Eggnog?
Can you add whiskey to eggnog?
Bourbon, Whiskey, or Rye – Any of these brown liquors (all of which are technically whiskeys, as is Scotch) work beautifully in partnership with eggnog since they balance the sweetness with a hint of smoke. Many also offer caramel notes. Caramel and cream? Yes, please! Rye is typically a little spicier than the others so give it a try if that’s your style.
Is Bacardi rum good in eggnog?
As synonymous with the holiday season as Mariah Carey, BACARDÍ Eggnog is Christmas in a cup – or in a glass in this case. Made with BACARDÍ Spiced rum it’s just like melted ice cream; smooth, creamy and sweet but with a gentle kick of nutmeg spice.
What makes eggnog taste so good?
What makes eggnog so addictive? It’s the time of year for seasonal food trends: apple begets pumpkin spice begets butternut squash and sweet potato-rich foods. And now peppermint and eggnog. Some of these are more universally enjoyed than others. But I wondered what exactly makes eggnog such an enticing treat between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- I asked some experts in the sensory and food technology fields for insight.
- It’s like ice cream.
- It’s cold, and it’s sweet, and it tastes good, especially when you haven’t had it for 10 or 11 months,” said Steven Young, a consulting dairy and food technologist based in Houston and principal of Steven Young Worldwide, a technical and marketing consultancy.
In fact, eggnog dates back decades, and it was often consumed as a riff on classical French vanilla ice cream or custard. “You would start by taking just regular ice cream mix with egg yolks in it, which are added for color and flavor,” Young said. A manufacturer might add more yellow color to the mix, in order to make it even more compatible with the egg yolk, similar to the color of a manila folder, according to Young.
And then of course, you add vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. “It’s a lot easier to take plain ice cream mix and ‘dress it up’ to become eggnog. For all intents and purposes, that’s what eggnog has been,” Young said. Ice cream mix consists of cream, milk and sugar, and it is very thick before it’s whipped and frozen because there’s no air in it.
But the thickness is perfectly suited for making eggnog, as it allows the mixture to be stable enough to tolerate being diluted later with alcohol, ultimately giving it a mouthfeel and flavor that is compatible with what you are looking for in the final product, Young explained.
“That’s the dance.” Alternatively, rather than drawing off a classic ice cream mix, companies may create an eggnog beverage from whole milk that is heavy and thick enough to withstand the rigors of ice as well as alcohol, Young explained. An ingredient known as pasteurized sugared egg yolk (which is also used in French vanilla ice cream mix) is added to the milk, acting as a source of eggy flavor and color.
The mixture is then heat-treated (pasteurized and cooled to refrigerator temperature) to ensure that it is safe to consume. “You have caramelized sugar with cooked egg and dairy, and it unifies beautifully with the vanilla and brown spirits,” said Gail Vance Civille, founder and president of Sensory Spectrum, a consulting firm that helps companies learn how sensory cues drive consumer perceptions of products.
- For a lot of people, it’s the richness of the fat and flavor of the custard that gives eggnog its sensory appeal.” Some companies sell eggnog bases, which are pre-formulated mixtures of ingredients with specifically designed flavor qualities.
- These mixtures can be incorporated into milk or an ice cream mix, and they offer manufacturers a convenient, efficient and microbiologically safe way to produce large scale quantities of eggnog.
These mixes can also be formulated to be compatible with specific varieties of eggnog, for example, reduced fat or fat-free milk-based nogs or plant-based nogs, such as soy, almond and cashew. As with other food products, the quality of eggnog ingredients matters.
According to Civille, prepackaged eggnog made with powdered egg and artificial vanilla flavors or nonfat dry milk powder will not offer a rich, eggy nog. “It should be made from real whole milk cooked to a custard with real eggs, and it should have real vanilla in it,” Civille said. Could the amount of sugar in eggnog also contribute to its “addictiveness”? Sugar’s addictive properties have been studied, and ice cream mix used to make eggnog contains its fair share, both from the milk sugar lactose and from added sugars.
“Mathematically, basic eggnog has a lot of sugar, but by the same token, you have to expect it to have enough viscosity, flavor and sweetness to be diluted later with ice or alcohol and still be able to carry its sensory appeal,” Young said. “There is a lot of to manage, and this puts pressure on the inherent sweetness of the mix, in order to deliver the desirable sensory appeal of the finished beverage.” A quick look at the nutrition facts labels for a sampling of store-bought eggnog reveals that the holiday drink often tops 20 grams of sugar – the equivalent of 5 teaspoons – for a mere half-cup serving.
“The amount of sugar will depend on the recipe and brand you buy. Some have tons; others don’t but if it is loaded with sugar, it can become a dessert instead of a sweet beverage,” Civille said. So we have a chilled, sweet, milky beverage, similar to ice cream and milkshakes. I wonder, is there something else that I missed when it comes to the magical appeal of eggnog? I pressed Young once again to tell me the secret behind the allure of the holiday drink.
“We love it maybe because it’s cold and sweet – and all of a sudden, we get it for three or four weeks kind of like ‘forbidden nog,’ ” he said. “The day after Christmas, it’s over,” he added. “If any is left in the stores, you have to do something with it, because it just won’t sell.
What brand of rum goes best with eggnog?
Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum – Growing up in a Puerto Rican household, Hernan Trujillo, head bartender at J. Bespoke in New York City, knows all about coquito, a Puerto Rican holiday beverage similar to eggnog and spiked with rum. When it comes to eggnog, Trujillo also uses rum.
What is eggnog made of?
What Is Eggnog? By Fraya Berg for Food Network Kitchen Fraya is a chef and a contributing writer at Food Network. If you don’t know what eggnog is (and by that we mean real, made from scratch eggnog), you’re not alone! Eggnog has gone in and out of fashion, and it’s one of those things that you either love or don’t love: like cilantro.
If you do love it, you’ll want to learn how to make eggnog and serve it at a winter gathering because it will be so much better than the store-bought stuff from the carton. Eggnog is a milk and egg drink traditionally served during the holidays at large gatherings. And you might just want to pull out the punch bowl you inherited from your great aunt for the occasion.
In the old days, before we had electricity and refrigeration, eggnog was called milk punch and was a drink served only by the wealthy due to the expense of sugar and brandy. Since serving it was a sign of wealthy, toasts to long life and wealth were made when it was served.
- In the 21st century, most people can easily make eggnog at home: it doesn’t require special ingredients that will break the bank.
- Eggnog is traditionally made with eggs, egg yolk, sugar, milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- It’s often spiked with brandy and topped with freshly grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon sticks.
Eggnog has a sweet and creamy custardy flavor that’s cut by the honeyed-sharp flavor of brandy. Thanks to the warm spices traditionally served on top (like nutmeg, cinnamon and sometimes even cloves or star anise), eggnog also often tastes slightly spicy and perfumed – like all the lovely holiday baking ingredients.
The texture is thicker than a glass of whole milk, more akin to melted vanilla ice cream. Because the beverage is rich and undoubtedly a treat, it’s often served in small crystal or cut-glass tumblers. There are two ways to make eggnog – the cooked egg version and the raw egg version. Either way, the basic premise is whisking egg yolks with sugar to increase the volume of the yolks and create a natural thickener.
Milk and cream are then added along with cinnamon and nutmeg for the traditional flavor. The final step is to whip the egg whites to peaks and gently fold them into the big bowl with everything else. At this point you get to decide if you’re going to add alcohol or not.
- For the raw version, you just take those steps and it’s done.
- For the cooked version, you basically make a custard with the egg yolks, sugar and milk.
- Then you add the cream (whipped or not, your call) and the whipped whites.
- In both versions, the whites are not cooked, because uncooked egg whites are safe to eat.
If you’ve ever had lemon meringue pie, you’ve had raw egg whites, because only the very top layer of the meringue, the brown swirls, are cooked. It’s smart to keep eggnog safety in mind, especially if you’re serving eggnog to children or immuno-compromized, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals.
- A surefire way to make safe eggnog is to take the cooked eggnog version.
- If you’re using a recipe that calls for raw eggs, buy pasturized eggs from the supermarket, which have been heat-treated to kill any salmonella.
- One of the reasons eggnog lovers love eggnog is the alcohol that’s semi-disguised in the frothy, rich drink.
The best alcohol for eggnog is your favorite – with probably one exception – tequila doesn’t seem like a good fit. Originally, brandy, sherry or Madeira were used, one more reason why only the wealthy were serving it: the spirits were heavily taxed. When settlers came to the new world, they brought the idea of eggnog with them and started using rum, the spirit that was plentiful and wasn’t heavily taxed.
Then bourbon made from corn entered the picture, and that became popular. If you’re making it for a large party, you can have a variety of spirits available and let everyone choose their favorite. Based on how eggnog is made, all eggnog starts out alcohol-free. When you make it, you can leave it as it is, or get some rum or bourbon flavor in the mix with an extract.
Technically all extracts (even vanilla) add a minute amount of alcohol when you use them to a recipe. It is possible to find alcohol free flavorings if you search. Devon Jarvis /Studio D, Hearst Communications Inc., 2012 It wouldn’t be the holidays without eggnog served at a party or two.
If you’re serving it, go with Capital Eggnog, it’s a classic. For food safety, this recipe calls for pasteurized egg yolks. If you can’t find them, you can use fresh egg yolks, because in Step 2 you’re cooking them, so no worries. Here’s another classic. It’s festive and decadent, laced with nutmeg and vanilla.
We lightened it up by folding in whipped cream and made the booze optional so that it’s good for young and old alike When you’ve got leftover eggnog or it’s on sale at the market, making a flan with it as the custard base couldn’t be easier. All the flavors are already in the mix, and the caramel is a perfect topping.
- Matt Armendariz, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P.
- All Rights Reserved This creamy eggnog recipe has all the ingredients regular eggnog has, the eggs and milk are cooked exactly like any other eggnog and it’s topped with the traditional sprinkle of nutmeg.
- The only thing missing is the alcohol.
- Perfect for a party with kids when you only have one punch bowl.
Renee Comet, © 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved Rum, bourbon, vanilla and nutmeg bring all the flavors of eggnog together in these snowy-white puffball cookies. Just like snow, they’ll melt in our mouth. Matt Armendariz, Copyright 2015 These decorated cups filled with Snowman Eggnog are the cutest thing ever.
You might need two batches – one for the adults with rum or brandy and one that isn’t spiked for the kids. Just be sure you can tell them apart! We consider Eggnog Overnight French Toast easy cleanup after a party: have all the ingredients ready and just add the eggnog. The just pop it in the oven the next morning.
To make it even more eggnog-ish, give it a dusting of nutmeg when it comes out of the oven. Coquito is a holiday beverage from Puerto Rico and is a great stand-in for eggnog, especially if you’re hosting several holiday parties. Or have both: eggnog with alcohol and coquito without.
Is all eggnog made with alcohol?
Does eggnog actually contain eggs ? – Traditionally, yes. However, today’s supermarket eggnogs, which are regulated by the FDA, contain very little egg, and certainly do not contain alcohol. For those looking to get a taste of the original beverage, a homemade recipe will likely come closest to the original thing, which consisted of milk, egg, and plenty of alcohol.
What Whisky is in eggnog?
Best alcohol for eggnog: –
- Bourbon
- Rye
- Aged rum
- Irish whiskey
- Blended Scotch whisky
- Brandy
- Coffee liqueur
