Best Cooked Eggnog Recipes

COOKED EGGNOG

Steps:

• Place the eggs and sugar into a pan, and whisk until light colored and frothy. Whisk in 2 cups of milk until thoroughly blended. Place the pan over medium heat, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens, and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining 6 cups of milk, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to cool thoroughly before serving.

CREAMY COOKED EGGNOG

Steps:

• Use a saucepan or stock pot large enough to hold 2 quarts.
• In saucepan, beat together the eggs and sugar until smooth.
• Stir in 2 cups milk.
• Cook over medium low heat, whisking or stirring frequently because as this mixture begins to get hot it will easily scorch to the bottom of the pan if you aren't careful.
• Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon and reaches 160° on a food thermometer.
• Remove from heat.
• Slowly add the 2 cups whipping cream or half& half while whisking together until smooth.
• Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and combine until incorporated.
• At this point, you may taste test (carefully- it will still be very hot) and if it doesn't seem sweet enough for your taste, add extra sugar.
• I use a total of 3/4 cup sugar because we like it sweet.
• You may also add more nutmeg at this point if you like a strong nutmeg flavor.
• Pour into a pitcher or container.
• Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled- several hours or overnight.
• Serve garnished with your choice of toppings: whipped cream, chocolate curls, maraschino cherries, cinnamon sticks or peppermint sticks.
• Brandy, rum, whiskey or flavored liqueur's may be added before serving if desired.
• This recipe makes 6 cups Egg Nog.

COOKED CUSTARD EGGNOG

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. In a medium saucepan, scald 2 cups milk. Meanwhile, with an electric mixer on medium-high, whisk 5 large egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add half the scalded milk to the yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir into remaining milk, and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove from heat, and immediately stir in 1 cup heavy cream. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a medium mixing bowl set in the ice-water bath. Let stand, stirring from time to time, until chilled. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup dark rum. Transfer eggnog to a punch bowl or to individual glasses.
• Whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks. Top each serving of eggnog with a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

COOKED CUSTARD EGGNOG

Steps:

• Heat milk in a large saucepan, don't boil.
• Beat eggs and salt in a large bowl; gradually add sugar, mixing well.
• Gradually stir about 1/4 of hot milk into egg mixture; add to remaining hot milk, stirring constantly.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until misture thickens and reaches 160 degrees.
• Stir in 1/4 tsp nutmeg and vanilla.
• Set saucepan in larger pan of ice for 10 minutes to rapidly cool mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours.
• When ready to serve, fold in whipping cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

COOKED BUTTERSCOTCH SCOTCH EGGNOG

Steps:

• Heat the milk to a slow boil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. While waiting for the milk to heat, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks and brown sugar until thick. When milk has reached a low boil, turn off the heat, and whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk into the yolks mixture until fully incorporated. Whisk in the salt.
• Return the mixture to the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, with a spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and allow to cool. Chill eggnog for at least an hour and up to 2 days.
• Just before serving, whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold it into the custard. Add the whiskey, brandy and vanilla. Garnish with nutmeg and serve.

CLASSIC COOKED EGGNOG

Steps:

• In large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired.
• Stir in 2 cups of the milk.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla.
• Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, pour into bowl or pitcher.
• Garnish or add stir-ins, if desired.
• Serve immediately.
• *Forfaster preparation heat milk until very warm before stirring milk into eggs and sugar.
• MICROWAVE: In 2-quart liquid measure or bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired, until thoroughly blended.
• Set aside.
• In l-quart liquid measure or bowl, cook 2 cups of the milk on full power until bubbles form at edges, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir into egg mixture.
• Cook on 50% power until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches at least 160°F, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in remaining 2 cups milk and vanilla.
• Continue as above.

BEST COOKED EGGNOG

Steps:

• Whisk the eggs and yolks, then add the cream, sugar, and spices. Add the milk, whisk until thoroughly combined (immersion blender is best).
• In a heavy-bottom pan, cook the mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, for a few minutes. Then increase the heat to medium-low (no higher), and cook, whisking constantly, until the temperature of the mixture is 180°F, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the salt, and cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Then refrigerate until cold.

COOKED EGGNOG

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, mix the eggs, sugar, and salt, if used.
• Stir in 2 cups milk.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and mixture coats a metal spoon (will read 160°F on a candy thermometer).
• Remove from heat and add 2 cups milk and extract.
• Chill several hours or overnight.
• Whirl in blender before serving.
• Add rum or brandy as desired, top with whipped cream and ground nutmeg.

NO STIR COOKED EGGNOG, CUSTARD OR PUDDING - CHOCOLATE, VANILLA,

Steps:

• In a 1.5 quart or larger glass casserole dish, add all ingredients and mix together - it doesn't have to be perfect, though.
• Place dish in a larger pan and fill with hot water to the level of the custard or as close as you can get (no higher than 1/2 inch from the top of the pan). Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (it will be wet, but there should be no liquidy custard sticking to it).
• Remove from oven and water bath and allow to cool for just a minute or two. Spoon/dump the hot custard into a blender or food processor, being VERY CAREFUL not to burn yourself. Put on the lid and blend/process until mixture is completely pureed and smooth. It will be runny. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours until custard is cold and thickened.
• VARIATION - CHOCOLATE PUDDING: While pureeing custard, add chocolate syrup to the mixture to taste. You can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate syrup. I don't have an exact quantity - just eyeball it until it looks and tastes good!
• VARIATION - OTHER FLAVORS: Add in other stuff to the custard while mixing in the blender. Some ideas - butterscotch, caramel or fruit syrup, or use flavored extracts from the baking aisle. Make sure whatever you add isn't too runny or juicy, because this will prevent the pudding from setting up properly. You can also stir in fresh fruit after the pudding is set. One of my favorite combos is to drain a can of cinnamon fried apples, dice them, and then mix them in the pudding. Serve with some caramel sauce drizzled on top - yummy!
• VARIATION - EGGNOG: After custard cools and sets up in the refrigerator, spoon into a pitcher. Stir in any combination of milk, half-and-half, cream, etc. until it's the consistency you want. Add nutmeg to taste, and rum or brandy if you like. You may have to sample it a couple of times to get it just right - but I consider that a plus! But you may want to write down the quantities you used so you can make it the same way next time.
• VARIATION - CUSTARD SAUCE: Mix in cream or half-and-half to the consistency you'd like, plus any flavorings you want.

CHRISTMAS COOKED EGGNOG/CARRIE SHERIDAN

Steps:

• Place the eggs and sugar in a pan and whisk until light-colored and frothy.
• Whisk in 2 cups of the milk until thoroughly blended.
• Place the pan over medium heat, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon -- about 5 minutes. If you are using a thermometer, the temperature should reach 160 degrees.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining 6 cups of milk, vanilla extract and nutmeg.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow to cool completely before serving.

BOOZY RICH EGGNOG FROM A COOKED BASE

Steps:

• FOR BASE: In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, barely boil the milk with the vanilla bean, which has been split lengthwise, scraped with the back edge of a knife and added to the milk--seeds, pod, and all (if using vanilla extract, you'll add it after eggnog base has cooked).
• Meanwhile, place a large fine-mesh strainer over a bowl set in a large bowl of ice.
• Beat the yolks and sugar together in the top of a double boiler, by hand or with electric beaters, until thick and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the hot vanilla milk.
• Cook in the double boiler set over simmering water, stirring constantly all around the bottom and corners with a rubber or wooden spatula.
• In time, foam will subside.
• The eggnog base is done when it coats a wooden spoon without bare spots, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Immediately pour through strainer, stirring to cool.
• When cool to the touch, slowly whisk in all liquors (if using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, add this now, too).
• Store eggnog base in refrigerator overnight or up to three days, to ripen.
• TO COMPLETE EGGNOG: At serving, remove vanilla bean and pour eggnog base into a large punch bowl.
• Beat egg whites with 3 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks; fold into eggnog mixture.
• Beat cream to stiff peaks and fold it in, too.
• Let some lumps of the cream and egg whites float on surface.
• Sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Serve immediately, using a ladle.