Hey there, y’all! Let’s talk about makin’ some good ol’ deep south eggnog. You know, the kind that warms ya up on a chilly winter night. I ain’t no fancy chef or nothin’, but I know how to make eggnog that’ll make your toes curl!
First off, you gotta get your fixin’s together. This ain’t no time for guessin’, so listen up good. You need milk. Not that skimpy stuff neither, get the real deal, whole milk if you can. Then, you need some heavy cream. That’s what makes it thick and creamy, like a good hug.
- Milk – Whole milk is best, ya hear?
- Heavy Cream – Gotta make it rich and thick.
- Eggs – The real stars of the show. Get the freshest you can find. We’re just usin’ the yolks, mind you. Whites are good for other stuff, but not for my eggnog.
- Sugar – Just plain ol’ white sugar. Don’t need nothin’ fancy.
Now, some folks like to put in that high fructose corn syrup stuff, but I say stick to the basics. You can add a bit of corn syrup if you want, but sugar works just fine for me. Just don’t go overboard, ya don’t want it too sweet. A little pinch of salt, too. Just a pinch, mind you! Brings out the flavor, you know.
Next up is the important part: the egg yolks. Now, some folks worry about usin’ raw eggs, but I been doin’ it my whole life and ain’t nobody got sick yet. If you’re worried, you can get those pasteurized eggs, but they don’t taste quite the same to me. You gotta separate them eggs real careful, ya don’t want no shell in your nog. Just the yolks, nice and yellow.
Then comes the spices. This is where you can get a little fancy, but I keep it simple. Nutmeg is a must, gotta have that warm, spicy smell. Some folks put in cinnamon, too, but I just stick to nutmeg. It’s what my mama used, and her mama before her. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I always say.
Now, for the flavorin’. You can add a splash of vanilla extract, just a little bit, don’t want to overpower everything else. Some folks like to put in some rum or whiskey, too, to give it a little kick. That’s up to you, though. If you’re gonna add booze, do it at the end, after you’ve mixed everything else together. Don’t want to cook the alcohol out now, do we?
And some folks, they use things like guar gum and carrageenan to make it thicker, but I don’t bother with that stuff. Heavy cream does the trick just fine. And I don’t use no fancy colorin’ neither, like annatto or turmeric. Them eggs give it enough color, if you ask me.
Alright, so here’s how you put it all together. Whisk them egg yolks real good, till they’re light and fluffy. Then, you slowly add in the sugar, keep whiskin’ till it’s all mixed together. Then, you slowly pour in the milk and cream, keep whiskin’ so it don’t get all lumpy.
Once it’s all mixed together, you gotta heat it up a little. Now, you don’t want to boil it, just warm it up enough to cook them eggs a bit. Put it in a pot over low heat, and stir it constantly. Don’t let it stick to the bottom, ya hear? You gotta keep stirrin’ till it thickens up just a little bit. Should coat the back of a spoon, that’s how you know it’s ready.
Once it’s thick enough, take it off the heat and stir in your nutmeg and vanilla. If you’re addin’ booze, now’s the time. Stir it all up real good, then pour it into a pitcher or a bowl.
Now, you gotta let it chill for a few hours, or even overnight. Eggnog is best served cold, ya know. And if you’re gonna add some whipped cream on top, go ahead, I ain’t stoppin’ ya. A little sprinkle of nutmeg on top, too, makes it look all fancy.
So there you have it, my deep south eggnog recipe. It ain’t nothin’ fancy, just good, honest eggnog, the way my mama used to make it. It’ll warm you up from the inside out and put a smile on your face. Now go on and make some, you won’t regret it.
Deep south eggnog ingredients, that’s all it takes, you see? Just a few simple fixin’s and a little bit of love. That’s the secret to makin’ good food, you know. It ain’t about fancy techniques or expensive ingredients. It’s about puttin’ your heart into it. And that’s somethin’ you won’t find in no store-bought eggnog, that’s for sure.
