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Reader Survey: Do You Like Eggnog?

2008_12_18-Eggnog2.jpgOne person's cup of creamy, bourbon-spiked goodness is another person's eggy, high-fat nightmare. Where do you stand?!

 
 

If you're on the fence and need convincing (in either direction), you might try making a batch yourself and serving it at your next holiday party! Here are a few yummy-sounding recipes from around the web:

Eggnog from Alton Brown
Best Eggnog from Chow.com
Eggnog from Simply Recipes

P.S. If you're going to all the trouble of making eggnog from scratch, don't skimp and go the low-fat route. You'll make the Eggnog Fairy cry tears of heavy cream.

Or if the beverage itself doesn't do it for you, maybe you'd be interested in some edible variations:

Spiked Eggnog French Toast from Pinch My Salt (because that's how we like to start the day, alrighty!)
Eggnog Cheesecake from Chow.com
Eggnog Cupcakes from Annie's Eats
Eggnog Ice Cream from Epicurious
Eggnog Bread Pudding Bites from CookThink

Any other favorite eggnog recipes - of the beverage variety or otherwise?

Related: Vino: Mulled Wine

(Image: Flickr member booleansplit licensed under Creative Commons)

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Recipe Roundup, Inspiration, Holidays - Christmas, Surveys, Entertaining, eggnog, egg nog, egg nog recipe, eggnog recipe

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Comments (44)

i haven't had it in a long time, although i remember not liking it that much. But, i would try it again and see how it is now.

posted by jmorey on December 18th 2008 at 3:07pm
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I think it's nasty. No matter how many times I try it, the recipe, whatever the circumstance... nasty.

posted by piekid on December 18th 2008 at 3:16pm
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Absolutely not! Just thinking about it makes me gag a little!

That said, my dad can't get enough of the stuff!

posted by Asia on December 18th 2008 at 3:21pm
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I've never had "real" eggnog, but I suspect I wouldn't be a fan. The stuff in the carton makes me gag - and so does whole milk. I do not enjoy thick beverages.

posted by LauraII on December 18th 2008 at 3:24pm
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Store eggnog often has artificial rum flavor added to it, which I think makes it gross (plus all those preservatives!). I didn't think I liked eggnog until my bf convinced me to make a batch of homemade nog a few years ago. It's now my holiday specialty, I love it. I use the Amazingly Good Eggnog recipe on allrecipes.com, minus the rum... that is left to the individual drinking the cup of eggnog. It's a cooked egg recipe, which is one of the things some people have with about eggnog.
The only downside- what do you do with all those eggwhites!

posted by wendy-rae on December 18th 2008 at 3:32pm
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I love egg nog, but I'm lactose intolerant. Luckily Silk makes an amazing soy egg nog!

posted by confusednazgul on December 18th 2008 at 3:36pm
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I love the taste of eggnog - but I am allergic to milk - so have to settle for the soy stuff which is way too expensive.
I like fruitcake too.

posted by RachelR on December 18th 2008 at 3:38pm
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Eeew. Just - eeeew!

posted by chez shoes on December 18th 2008 at 3:41pm
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I like the good stuff - made from scratch and only lightly spiked with spiced rum. Here in Canada, I haven't seen it made with Bourbon. I wonder if that's just my crowd or a true distinction between Canadians and Americans?

posted by Dana McCauley on December 18th 2008 at 3:43pm
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I like it when prepared in exactly 1 way....

Mix half egg nog, with half milk.
Heat up.
Grate fresh nutmeg on top.

I've converted some eggnog-haters with this since it's less overwhelmingly thick and rich.

posted by angorian on December 18th 2008 at 3:43pm
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Yech. Not a fan of milky alcohol. Not a fan of thick, milkshakey drinks. Not a fan of nutmeg. Not a fan of rum. That about does it for nog.

posted by cmcinnyc on December 18th 2008 at 3:51pm
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I LOVE eggnog. Homemade, store bought, all of it. In fact, I consciously made a point of avoiding it so far this season, because I can drink it so fast. Mmmmmmm.

posted by Mace Elaine on December 18th 2008 at 3:53pm
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Yes. I like egg nog. Virgin or spiked.

posted by wunami on December 18th 2008 at 3:53pm
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Love eggnog with rum and dash of nutmeg. Homemade is best, but the stuff from the cartons is okay in small doses. With rum.

posted by Aldyth on December 18th 2008 at 3:55pm
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Love it. Making it is a tad labor intensive, but anything other than homemade is vile.

posted by hyperRevue on December 18th 2008 at 3:57pm
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I'll drink it if it's handed to me for a toast at a party but otherwise wouldn't drink it

posted by VeryDelishVeg on December 18th 2008 at 3:58pm
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Love it. My husband is lactose intolerant, but we found that Lactaid makes a pretty good version.

My problem with eggnog is that once it is in the house it is usually gone in a day. I love the stuff soooo much I can drink a whole quart pretty quickly.

posted by Kassie on December 18th 2008 at 4:00pm
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Eggnog in a carton is gross. Homemade eggnog with cream can be overwhelmingly thick. I'm not a fan of rum. But if you make it with whole milk, and a mixture of brandy and bourbon (maybe a bit of spiced rum, too), then it's a wonderful thing to drink while trimming the tree. Once a year, I require a glass or two of top-quality eggnog, and that's good enough for me. The rest of the year, I'd say you're just wasting the bourbon.

The uncooked eggnog in Joy of Cooking is pretty wonderful. The recipe is huge (for a crowd), but cut it into fourths or even less, and it's just about right. And use the larger measure of alcohol. :)

posted by eprewitt on December 18th 2008 at 4:15pm
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My Dad was famous for a different, but similar drink, beloved by everyone who has ever tried it. It is always the first thing to run out at a party.

Moose Milk - 1/3 bourbon, 1/3 gingerale, 1/3 French Vanilla Ice Cream. Mix together in the blender or just shake it up.

Try it. It's less eggy and rich, though still milky and sweet.

But be careful - it sneaks up on you.

posted by Dulcibella on December 18th 2008 at 5:09pm
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No. Never. Ever.

posted by creolesugar on December 18th 2008 at 5:33pm
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Oh. my. goodness. I LOVE egg nog. I just won't drink it if it has alcohol in it because it totally does not jive well with the rich dairy overload. I find. Unless it is amaretto, but most people don't think of using that (Try it!!!). I wait all year for it, and I can drink it from the carton, gross I know, both because of its thickness (I believe the carton kind is meant to be "watered down" with milk) and all the unnatural ingredients, but hey, carpe diem.

Silk Nog is also very delicious, and less heavy so it probably won't hurt you to drink it every day if you're nog-crazy like me.

posted by crepesuzette on December 18th 2008 at 5:39pm
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Love it. Buttermilk too.

posted by Fontessa on December 18th 2008 at 6:05pm
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Love it.

posted by Jenny B on December 18th 2008 at 8:54pm
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Silk Nog is *amazing*

posted by Lexo on December 18th 2008 at 9:07pm
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I love it!

posted by stolichnaya on December 18th 2008 at 9:07pm
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Love it, Especially love Silk Nog, and like Fontessa, I also love buttermilk (my boyfriend thinks I'm nuts for this)

posted by bonjourmiette on December 18th 2008 at 9:24pm
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never tried it.

posted by Nudik on December 18th 2008 at 10:38pm
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ugghhh.. eggnog=barf bleh, pure thick creamy nastiness!

i used to be a barista at a small coffee shop when i was in school. we had to make eggnog lattes for the holiday season. when you steam eggnog, it ends up basically curdling soon after. i can only imagine the chunky lattes our customers seemed to enjoy enough to always order more. gross.

posted by leilatamar on December 18th 2008 at 10:48pm
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We're a boiled custard family rather than an eggnog family.

posted by Shana Lee on December 18th 2008 at 10:52pm
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hellz to the noooooooooooooooooooooo

posted by ratita on December 18th 2008 at 11:46pm
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i am having some right now! what a timely post...
eggnog from the carton with rum = yum :)

posted by artsycoolcat on December 19th 2008 at 12:06am
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I always use a recipe from a bartender, Jeffrey Morganthaler for my egg nog recipe. It's pretty tasty.

posted by happiness on December 19th 2008 at 12:48am
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Eggnog. Yes. With dark rum and rye Whiskey. Homemade by any recipe (even those using ice cream and coffee!) over the carton stuff. Hot buttered Rum. Hell yes. Buttermilk, oh yeah! The thicker the better. If you want to 'knock your socks off with buttermilk, melt a teaspoon or two of real butter and drizzle it into a cold glass of barvarian butter milk and stir. mmmmm. I eat it with a spoon, like a cold soup, with pepper sprinkled on top.

posted by Tolovana on December 19th 2008 at 1:39am
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eggnog=heaven

posted by Joan in SB on December 19th 2008 at 1:43am
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I don't like it.

posted by sciencegeek on December 19th 2008 at 9:35am
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I love it!

posted by OneWallKitchen on December 19th 2008 at 10:03am
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I love eggnog. My best friend turned me on to putting in my coffee instead of cream in the morning (and I'm usually a pretty dedicated black coffee drinker) and it's great. I think I'm going to try the amaretto suggestion, too!

posted by SplendidKate1066 on December 19th 2008 at 10:18am
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I like it, but can't drink too much of it...

However, last weekend in Berlin, I came across eierpunsch, which is a hot German egg punch, in the Christmas markets. It's much, much better than egg nog. It is not as heavy or thick, and is obviously cooked, which eliminates many objections to egg nog. The recipes for it abound -- it is made with either white or red wine, and can have tea, or an egg liquor or rum... there are many possibilities. The ones I had definitely had a liquor of some sort (not sure which) as well as wine, as it was a bit tangy.

http://de.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071030010531AAiISW2

posted by mschatelaine on December 19th 2008 at 10:31am
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I don't drink dairy -- but I do like Silk's soynog. But, my fav holiday drink is now Vitasoy's peppermint chocolate soymilk. Delicious and festive!

posted by Lorena in SD on December 19th 2008 at 12:16pm
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I despise it. The smell of it makes me vomit.

posted by Dawny on December 19th 2008 at 12:20pm
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It's interesting there are so many strong reactions here, and that they refer to two completely different drinks-- home made and store bought.

I like both kinds, though now that I've been converted to the original (thick, creamy with stiffened egg whites) I can't go back to the carton kind. It's very strong, but it tastes like candy (or a chai latte) and I always have to watch myself so I don't drink too much (and get drunk).

posted by Eliza on December 19th 2008 at 3:46pm
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OMG, eggnog! I don't know how I keep forgetting about all of these awesome holiday treats.
I prefer cooked homemade eggnog, but the store bought stuff can sometimes be pretty good too... just like how blue box mac 'n' cheese can be pretty good. :)

posted by sparkle on December 19th 2008 at 6:14pm
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With all due respect to nog enthusiasts, I absolutely detest the taste of eggnog. As a child, when most people form their taste preferences, my family's idea of eggnog contained a minimum of 40% rum (and I always wondered how other kids could stand the taste!)... it wasn't until I was about 15 that I realized what the offending ingredient was, but by then it was too late. I can't even get the stuff to my nose anymore - even without the alcohol.

posted by TheGoodBiGirl on December 20th 2008 at 12:35am
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Love it, love it. And though I am generally a purist on all things culinary and traditional, I prefer mine non-spiked. Love booze, but don't really like messing with my eggnog, which is a pure childhood taste to me. Might as well dunk Oreos in whiskey. I like a homemade nog, certainly, but I grew up on Hood Golden Eggnog, and that's the flavor of the holidays.

posted by pyewacket on December 22nd 2008 at 3:57pm
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