Whip Up Eggnog from Scratch and Use it in These Two Deliciously Warm Winter Recipes

Traditionally, eggnog is a creamy, dessert-like drink made with raw eggs, cream, sugar, spices, and spirits like rum, bourbon, or whiskey. Think of it as a more liquid version of custard served in a glass. While eggnog likely originated in Britain, its early form, known as 'posset', differed greatly from the modern concoction. 'Posset' was hot, sweetened, and spiced milk curdled with wine or ale. To enhance richness, creaminess, and flavor, eggs and fruits like figs were eventually added.

Not everyone is comfortable consuming raw eggs, especially in a drink. Fortunately, many eggnog recipes without the eggs exist. Here's one to get you started before we share delightful, inventive ways to use it in desserts:

Eggless Eggnog

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of milk
• 1 cup of cream
• ½ cup of sugar
• 5 tbsp of vanilla custard powder
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract or essence
• ½ tsp of nutmeg
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp of ginger powder
• ¼ tsp of salt

Instructions:

• Cook the custard with 2 cups of milk and sugar in a saucepan. Once done, let it cool slightly.
• Then pour this in your blender along with the remaining milk, cream, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
• Blend till everything is smooth and homogeneous. Adjust the ratio of the spices and sweetness if you think the drink is lacking any elements.
• Some eggnog desserts may not require you to make this drink from scratch. Instead, they use the flavoring to inspire a similar feeling that comes from drinking eggnog. If the recipe does call for the addition of eggnog, you have a foolproof recipe that’s ready to come to your rescue.

Eggnog Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• ¾ cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp of molasses
• 2 ¼ cups of refined flour
• 2 ½ tsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• ¼ tsp of nutmeg
• pinch of cloves
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• ¼ tsp of salt (skip if using salted butter)

Icing:

• 2 tbsp of butter
• ¼ cup of powdered sugar
• ½ cup of eggnog
• A pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 370 F and prepare your baking tray by lining it with a baking sheet.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl till the mixture looks light, pale, and fluffy. Now, add the egg and molasses.
• Gradually combine the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar bowl till you get thick cookie dough.
• Chill it in the fridge. This is an integral step.
• Scoop out the cookie dough using a tablespoon or an ice cream scooper. You can also roll it out on a liberally floured surface and then use cookie cutters to shape your cookies.
• Pop the baking tray into your oven and bake for about 7 to 8 minutes. Take them out and let them cool and start on your icing.
• Heat all ingredients for the icing except the powdered sugar in a saucepan. Give it a boil. Then take it off the heat and let it cool outside or inside a fridge or freezer.
• Using an electric or handheld whisk, whip the powdered sugar into the icing.
• Smear it on your cookies and enjoy.

Eggnog French Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of eggnog
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp of nutmeg
• ¼ tsp of ground ginger
• 12 slices of thick white bread (don’t use fresh bread)

Instructions:

• Create the French toast batter with beaten eggs, eggnog and the ground spices. Pour it into a shallow dish so you can dip the bread slices easily.
• Melt butter in a pan on medium heat and start dipping the bread lightly in the batter.
• Place on the pan and cook on both sides for 5 minutes or so. You can ensure that the egg is completely cooked.
• Serve the french toast with a drizzle of eggnog or maple syrup. You can also add some fruits on the side to make it slightly healthy.
• Using stale or old bread for French toast is preferred because it can hold on to the batter better. Fresh bread is usually very soft and tender and will just melt into the batter before you even have a chance to transfer it to your pan.