Egg Nog Recipe

From Norwegian Cakes and Cookies by Sverre Saetre

I usually make egg nog for Christmas. I quite simply make a vanilla sauce that I add liquor to, such as blending chilled vanilla sauce with vodka. I prefer to store the nog in bottles in the refrigerator. The nog thickens when it stands, so it's important to shake it well before use.

Vanilla Sauce

This is a basic sauce that is the starting point for many sauces and desserts and the base for egg nog. It is important to be careful when a sauce is thickened or warmed so that it doesn't separate. Take the saucepan off the burner several times during the warming so that you have control of the temperature. Be sure to have a bowl and sieve on hand before you begin to thicken the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup (120 proof) vodka
1 vanilla bean
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks

Preparation:

1. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.
2. Heat the milk, whipping cream, vanilla bean, seeds, and half of the sugar to the boiling point.
3. Lightly whisk the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together.
4. Pour the hot liquid into the egg mixture gradually while stirring with a whisk. Then, pour the sauce back into the saucepan.
5. Heat the sauce while stirring the bottom of the saucepan with a spatula. It is important to stir the entire time to prevent the egg yolks from hardening in the bottom of the pan.
6. When the sauce thickens. 183 - 185 degrees Fahrenheit(84-85 degrees Celsius) on a thermometer, strain it into a bowl. To see if the sauce is thick enough, lift sauce up on a spatula and drag a finger through it. If the sauce doesn't flow together again, it's ready.
7. Chill the sauce in the refrigerator.

Tip:
When you warm milk and whipping cream for something like vanilla sauce, it is important that it does not boil, but is only heated to the boiling point. Boiled milk doesn't taste particularly good.

Recipe courtesy of Norwegian Cakes and Cookies by Sverre Saetre

Norway [ print this recipe for Egg Nog ]