Food: Did someone say eggnog?

(NC) Nothing says holiday like a delicious, cold glass of eggnog. Make this smooth treat from scratch at home and you’ll never go back to the store-bought version.

Check out Chef Anna Olson’s Crème Brûlée Eggnog recipe below:

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup (160 ml) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) water
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 3 cups (750 ml) 2% milk
  • 1/4 tsp (1 ml) finely grated nutmeg
  • 6 large egg yolks (reserve 1 egg white for rimming the glass)
  • 6 to 8 oz (175 to 250 ml) rum, brandy, whiskey or a combination (optional)
  • 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream

Directions:

  1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Place the water, lemon juice and 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the sugar in a saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat without stirring, and boil until the sugar turns a light amber, about 90 seconds. Remove from the heat.
  3. Immediately pour the sugar onto the tray, swirling the sugar into as thin a layer as possible before it sets. Let the mixture cool until set, about 30 minutes.
  4. Break the sugar into pieces. Crush them in a resealable bag with a rolling pin until coarsely ground, and set aside.
  5. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk and the nutmeg to just below a simmer. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together.
  6. Add a ladleful of hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk well. Whisking continuously, slowly add up to half of the hot milk to temper the egg mixture.
  7. Add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan of remaining milk and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir until the custard is well combined and coats the back of the spoon, about 3 minutes.
  8. Strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Cover and chill completely.
  9. When ready to serve, whisk the rum (or brandy and/or whiskey), if using, into the chilled eggnog custard. Whip the cream with an electric beater at high speed until it holds a soft peak when the beaters are lifted. Whisk the whipped cream by hand into the eggnog.
  10. To serve, lightly whisk the reserved egg white with a fork and place it in a dish. Place the crushed caramelized sugar in a small saucer, reserving some for garnish. Dip the rim of each glass into the egg white and then into the caramelized sugar. Ladle the chilled eggnog into each glass and top with a sprinkle of the reserved caramelized sugar.