Egg Nog

Everybody wants egg nog at Christmas.  One of the several things my daddy was proud of was that one of his patients was the man who personally was in charge of making the egg nog at Oak Farms Dairy in Oak Cliff in the 1950's.  And every Christmastime, even if he wasn't sick, Mr Laguard would stop by Daddy's office to bring him a carton of egg nog.  And every year Daddy would take enormous pride in the delivery of the egg nog as though  Shorty Laguard had made it just for him..

Beaven's daddy also made a killer egg nog.  Except George made his from ice cream and bourbon.  The ice cream gave it a smooth richness and the bourbon insured that it never reached a frozen state again.  George stored it in the freezer and it was about as cold as egg nog could be but never froze.  It had so much bourbon in it that I swear you could have set fire to it. One year when Emily was in middle school she and a friend visited George and Blanche with us, drank some egg nog and got their first buzz.  Slept all the way home.

Here is the recipe a friend posted.  Looks rich and creamy.  No bourbon.  Add your own. 

Mike Cole’s Egg Nog

1 1/3 cup sugar
8 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1 gallon whole milk
4 tsp vanilla
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Beat 1 1/3 cup sugar into egg yolks, add salt and stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture “coats” a spoon. Chill.

Beat egg whites till foamy. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, beating to soft peaks. Stir into the custard mixture and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla. Mix the whipped cream until fully whipped, add ¼ cup sugar as you are whipping. If you are saving for use, add the whipped cream and mix thoroughly. Chill and store. If you are using for a party, pour the custard mixture into a punch bowl and “dot” the mixture with islands of whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg for effect and taste.