This Spiked Eggnog Is Like a Grown-Up Gingerbread Cookie
While you can certainly pick up a carton of eggnog at the grocery store, nothing beats a homemade version that’s thick and creamy, mellow and dark. Every sip will be the perfect balance of sweet and spicy when you add cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to rum. Think of it as a grown-up gingerbread cookie.
Eggnog can be made with raw or cooked eggs — this version cooks the eggs to a temperature of 180ºF, so use an instant-read thermometer to make sure they don’t overcook. (If you do accidentally take it too far: just pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg.)
Now you’re ready for the sweet part.
Go with Agave
The gingerbread eggnog is sweetened with Agave In The Raw®, an agave syrup made from the blue agave plant that is 25 percent sweeter than refined sugar (meaning you can use less). Besides eggnog, you can use Agave In The Raw® in hot or cold drinks, or in place of honey or syrup, making it a worthwhile pantry staple for cooking or baking.
Before adding the spices to the eggnog, check to make sure they’re fresh, as old spices lose their pungency. As the spices heat in the half-and-half, they’ll perfume the eggnog and infuse everything deliciously. Add the vanilla and rum at the end so they make more of an impact. Like most eggnogs, this one gets better as it ages, so reserve a corner of your refrigerator and get a batch in there stat.
Gingerbread Eggnog
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 18
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8 cups
half-and-half
- 8
large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup
Agave In The Raw®
- 1/4 cup
molasses
- 1 teaspoon
ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup
dark rum
- 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
Instructions
In a large saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium heat until steaming.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, agave, molasses, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together. Pour half of the hot half-and-half into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk it into the remaining half-and-half.
Gently heat the half-and-half mixture until it reaches 180℉. Remove it from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the rum and vanilla.
Refrigerate until chilled, 8 hours. The eggnog will keep, refrigerated, up to 1 month.