Homemade Egg Nog

I use to turn my nose at egg nog. The word itself isn't that appealing to me, but the thought of consuming raw anything sends me over the edge. My husband, on the other hand, loves this stuff! He counts down the days after Halloween for it to hit the grocery store aisle, then we spend the next few weeks with a jug in the fridge. I, personally, HATE the store bought kind. And this version, my friends, taste far better than anything you can buy.

Now, let me be honest. Although this recipe doesn't take a lot of ingredients, it does require a lot of your time. You have to slow cook the egg mixture to kill any bacteria, but you can't allow it to simmer. You literally have to stand at the stove and mix it around and around and... well you get the point. This egg nog is worth it though. It's not overly sweet and it's so luscious!

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

12 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
dash of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
sprinkle of nutmeg

In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar and milk over a low heat. Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks and place in a bowl. Once the milk is heated, slowly whisk it into the eggs (this is called tempering, you're warming the eggs slowly so they don't cook). Return the milk/egg mixture back to the saucepan and place over a slow heat. Cook for about 25 minutes to heat the mixture till it coats your spoon and becomes thick. BE SURE THE MIXTURE DOES NOT BOIL! (Did I make that clear?) Return to the bowl and stir in 1 cup of the heavy cream, cinnamon and vanilla. Place in the fridge.

Whip the other cup of cream on a high speed to create "whipped cream". Fold it into the cold egg nog and serve. (By adding the whipped cream, you're giving it a luscious and velvety texture.) This will last about 4 days in the fridge, if you can keep it around that long. Enjoy!