Believed to have emerged in Britain during the Middle Ages, eggnog has naturally changed over the centuries as people have put their own spin on the drink. The main ingredients for an old-fashioned eggnog recipe include milk, heavy cream, sugar, and eggs, the latter of which are partially raw. To provide the best tips for making deliciously safe homemade nog, Daily Meal spoke with Gary Mennie, Food and Beverage Director at The Mills House , a charming historic hotel in Downtown Charleston.
For the best eggnog, Mennie puts on his pastry chef hat and starts with a crème anglaise base, which is basically a pourable cooked custard sauce and a component in Julia Child's favorite dessert: the floating island . Getting the correct ratio of egg yolks is one of the most important parts, but "the classic ratio [of] six egg yolks will thicken 1qt of liquid," he says. A quart might sound like a lot of nog if you only plan to drink a glass or two, but he suggests always making large batches and sharing with friends to maintain the ratio.
Another tip to keep in mind is that you should "heat the milk to 200 degrees [Fahrenheit], then 'temper' in your egg yolks and cook [the] mixture to 170 degrees." When it comes to sweetening the crème anglaise for eggnog, Mennie says that you don't have to use white sugar. "You can substitute maple syrup, agave, or brown sugar depending on desired sweetness," he noted, "Just remember.
.. you can always make something sweeter but you can't 'unsweeten' s.